Q: What distinguishes a federal system from a unitary system of government?

A: In a federal system, the central government is prevented from becoming all powerful and is given only the powers it needs. State governments are established as “Regional Localities,” free to handle local affairs according to the political desires of their constituents. In a unitary system, almost all policies and decisions emanate from the central government.

Q: What is the structure of a federal system in general?

A: A federal system consists of the federal or national government and constituent states and local governments in each state. Each state government may define with local governments, the functions and the powers of the latter.

Q: Why have some countries adopted federalism?

A: Some countries have adopted federalism because of the need for new forms of functional administration since some political modalities have become insufficient in coping with people’s needs and problems. Federalism brings about greater autonomy for people in far-flung regions thus letting them address their needs and problems in their own way and making available adequate resources.

Q: Is decentralization in a unitary system as good as in federalism?

A: Decentralization is basically both administrative decentralization (deconcentration) and political decentralization (devolution). Both types can exist in either unitary or federal system of government. However, it has been universally observed that the federal system is the closest to the ideal of operationalizing democracy that any unitarian order.