federalism
Divided governmental power
Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and regional units—states, provinces, or territories.
The United States, Canada, and Germany operate as federations.
Debates about federalism often concern which level of government should control particular matters: The court's ruling returned the question to the states, a victory for federalism.
Administrative territorial divisions
- provincesAdministrative regions within nations
- devolutionTransferring power locally
- subsidiarityLocal authority when able
- SwissOf a neutral alpine nation
German · Canadian · Australian · Indian · Brazilian · Nigerian · unitary · confederal
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- bicameralHaving two chambers
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- executiveSenior organizational leader
checks · balances · amendment · senate · representatives · decentralization · autonomy · charter
Independent decision-making capacity
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- self-ruleGovernance without outside control
- self-governmentRuling oneself independently
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
authority · self-determination · governance · subsidiarity · prerogative · devolution · regionalism · territorial
Joining into one
- integrationCombining into a whole
- unificationMerging into one entity
- solidarityUnity among allies
- coalitionTemporary alliance for action
compact · cohesion · indivisible · perpetual · consolidation · incorporation · accession · amalgamation
Between or among governments
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- grants-in-aidFunds given for purposes
State of being apart
- partitionBarrier separating spaces
- secessionFormal withdrawal from union
- nullificationFormal cancellation of validity
- fragmentationBreaking into smaller pieces
demarcation · balkanization · disunion · interposition · dual
cantons
Administrative territorial divisions
- provincesAdministrative regions within nations
- devolutionTransferring power locally
- subsidiarityLocal authority when able
Swiss · German · Canadian · Australian · Indian · Brazilian · Nigerian · unitary · confederal · supranational
constitution
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- bicameralHaving two chambers
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
executive · checks · balances · amendment · senate · representatives · decentralization · autonomy · charter · ratification
autonomy
Independent decision-making capacity
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- self-ruleGovernance without outside control
- self-governmentRuling oneself independently
decentralization · authority · self-determination · governance · subsidiarity · prerogative · devolution · regionalism · territorial · intergovernmental
union
Joining into one
- integrationCombining into a whole
- unificationMerging into one entity
- solidarityUnity among allies
coalition · compact · cohesion · indivisible · perpetual · consolidation · incorporation · accession · amalgamation
intergovernmental
Between or among governments
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
separation
State of being apart
- partitionBarrier separating spaces
- secessionFormal withdrawal from union
- nullificationFormal cancellation of validity
fragmentation · demarcation · balkanization · disunion · interposition · dual
- governmentsdemocracy, monarchy, autocracy, oligarchy, republic
- US Politicsconservatism, ballot, liberalism, bill, constitutionalism
- political theoryanarchism, authoritarianism, conservatism, democracy, fascism
- decentralizationdecentralized, distribute, spread, disperse, scatter
- Canadian Constitutionconstitutional amendment, 1867, 1982, division of powers, constitutional law
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
federalismcentralism
Central authority doctrine
centralization · centralized government · autocracy · totalitarianism · absolute monarchy
federalismanti-federalism
Opposition to central authority
anti-federalist · centralist · states' rights · unionist · statism
federalismseparatism
Advocacy for political breakaway
secession · balkanization · disunion · dissolution · confederation
- The Federalist PapersEssays urging ratification, 1787-1788
- Federalist PapersFounding-era persuasive essays
- The FederalistEssays advocating constitutional ratification
- Federalist PartyEarly American political organization
federalist, federalists, federalize, federalized, federalizes, federalizing, federalization, antifederalist