Federal States, Unitary States and the Process of Devolution Quick Learn
Dec 31, 2015
Federal States, Unitary States and the Process of Devolution
Quick Learn
Every state has different layers of government. However, geographic distribution of power varies.
Federalism and Unitary distribution are the two main type of spatial organization of government.
Unitary Systems
Political power (policy making) is in ONE GEOGRAPHIC PLACE
Highly centralized government (predated democracy)
Capital cities represent authority Local government exists, but has no
separate power Ideal for relatively small land space
Examples of Unitary States
United Kingdom- London Spain- Madrid China-Beijing Chile- Santiago (W. Coast of S.
America) Angola-Luanda (most of Africa) Thailand- Bangkok(most of SE Asia)
Federal- GreenUnitary- Blue
Federal System
Power and policy making is divided between a central government and geographic sub units
Developed in areas where no single city dominated
Works well with larger land space Accommodates regional interests
Examples of Federalism
Mexico (states) Germany (lander) Canada (provinces) India (states) Brazil (states) Nigeria (states) Australia (states and territories)
Is there ever a mix?Confederal Systems
Power geographically spread among sub units
Weak (very) central government Southern United States under the
Articles of Confederation, Swiss Cantons
Devolution
Movement of power from a central government to sub-government
Usually a reaction to centrifugal forces (divide and destabilize)
Ethnic, Economic, and Spatial
Devolution- Ethnic Forces
People who share a well- developed sense of belonging to the same culture (language, religion, customs)
Multiple ethnicities can threaten territorial integrity-Ethnonationalism French-Canadians in Quebec Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland Pakistan Yugoslavia- Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia,
Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro Balkanization
Economic Devolution
Economic inequalities can pull a state apart- especially if they are regional
Italy’s Ancona line divides north and south- movement towards federalism
Spain- Catalonia is 17% of Spain’s population but 40% of Spain’s industrial exports
Catalonia: Center of Spanish banking
Spatial forces of Devolution
Areas that are the margins of the state Distance, remoteness, peripheral location Water, desert, mountains
France (Corsica) China (Taiwan) Indonesia (East Timor) US claims Puerto Rico as a territory, many
Puerto Ricans advocate full separation
Timor was declared Indonesia’s 27th province in 1975 and self determined
(UN Backed in 1995)