FEDERAL COUNTRIES

Claire T. Oblimar
Definition of Terms

Commonwealth a nation, state, or other political entity founded on law and united by a compact of the people
for the common good.

Communism a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single often
authoritarian party holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property
or capital while claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by
the people (i.e., a classless society).

Confederacy (Confederation) a union by compact or treaty between states, provinces, or territories, that creates
a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except
those delegated to the central government.

Constitutional a government by or operating under an authoritative document (constitution) that sets forth the
system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and limits of that government.

Constitutional Democracy a form of government in which the sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a
governing constitution.
Definition of Terms
Constitutional Monarchy a system of government in which a monarch is guided by a constitution whereby his/her
rights, duties, and responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom.

Democracy a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually
exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed.

Democratic Republic a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers
and representatives responsible to them.

Dictatorship a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a
constitution or laws). Also, a system in which the citizens do not possess the right to choose their own leaders.

Ecclesiastical a government administrated by a church.

Federal (Federative) a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided usually by means of a
constitution between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so
that each region retains some management of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the central
government exerts influence directly upon both individuals as well as upon the regional units.
Definition of Terms
Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is
based on wealth or power.

Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime
minister, premier or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressed in
elections; by this system, the government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament.

Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a government in which members of an

executive branch (the cabinet and its leader - a prime minister, premier or chancellor) are nominated to their
positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved
at will by the parliament (legislature) by means of a no-confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve
the parliament if it can no longer function.

Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not actively involved in policy formation or
implementation (i.e., the exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity); true governmental
leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime minister, premier or chancellor - who are drawn from a
legislature (parliament).

Presidential - a system of government where the executive branch exists separately from a legislature (to which it is
generally not accountable).

Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives), not the people
themselves, vote on legislation.
Map of the Unitary & Federal Countries

Unitary Government Federal Government

Federal Countries
There are roughly 25 federal countries in the world today, which
together represent 40 percent of the world's population. They
include some of the largest and most complex democracies -
India, the US, Brazil, Germany and Mexico.

Their system of government, while it can be complex, has made

many federations amongst the most prosperous countries in the
world with high standards of government services.

- Forum of Federations
Federal Countries
Argentina Nepal
Australia Nigeria
Austria Pakistan
Belgium Russia
Bosnia and Herzegovina South Africa
Brazil Spain
Canada
Sudan
Ethiopia
Switzerland
Germany
India United Arab Emirates
Malaysia United States of America
Mexico Venezuela
Argentina
The federal structure of Argentina divides the country into 23 districts (known as provinces) and the
Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

Argentina is a presidential representative democratic republic. The President is both Head of State and
Head of the Government, and executive power is exercised by the President.

Legislative power is invested both in the Executive and within the Argentinean National Congress, the
bicameral legislative branch of the government of Argentina.

The National Congress consists of the upper house the Senate and the lower house the Chamber
of Deputies.

Each of the Argentinean provinces has its own constitution, laws, authorities, and forms of government,
but these institutions must first and foremost comply with the national constitution and federal law.

The government of each province has three branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. The
executive branch is led by a governor, while the provincial legislative branch may be organized in a
bicameral or unicameral format.

Each province, with the exception of Buenos Aires Province, is divided into administrative divisions
known as departments, which are in turn divided into municipalities.
Brazil
The Brazilian federation has three levels of government: the central or Union
government; 26 state governments and the Federal District government; and more
than 5,500 municipal governments.

States and municipalities have autonomous administrations which collect their own
taxes and receive a share of the taxes collected by the Federal government.

States are headed by a governor and municipalities by a mayor. Both entities have
elected legislative bodies.

The 26 states of Brazil have significant powers under its Constitution. Three orders of
government are recognized: central, state, and municipal.
Germany
The Federal Republic has consisted of 16 regions (Lnder): the ten Lnder of the former
West Germany; five new Lnder created out of the former East Germany; and Berlin.

Germany is a federal parliamentary republic. The Federal President is the Head of

State, and the Federal Chancellor is the Head of the Government. The bicameral
German Parliament consists of the Federal Legislature (the lower house known as the
Bundestag), and the Federal Council (the upper house known as the Bundesrat).

The Federal Legislature is directly elected by the German people, while the Federal
Council represents the governments of the Lnder.

Each of the Lnder has its own government, premier, and legislatures with significant
powers and jurisdiction over many areas of governance.
India
Indias federation consists of 28 states and 7 union territories (including the National
Capital Territory).

Governors are appointed by the central government to oversee states. All states and
two union territories have elected legislatures and governments. The remaining five
union territories are directly ruled by the center through appointed administrators.

India is a federal parliamentary democracy. The parliament is bicameral, with the

House of the States acting as the upper house, and the House of the People as the
lower house.

Jurisdictional disputes between the central government and the states are handled by
the Inter-State Council.
Iraq
The Republic of Iraq is democratic, federal parliamentary Islamic republic consisting of
19 governorates (also known as provinces). Four of these governorates (Duhok,
Hawler, Silemani, and Halabja) comprise the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The President of Iraq is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is the Head of the
Government.

The Iraqi legislature is the Council of Representatives, a unicameral body comprised of

325 members elected for four year terms.

The President is elected by a two-thirds majority of the Council of Representatives. The

President of the Republic appoints the Prime Minister from the majority coalition in the
legislature. The Prime Minister in turn appoints the cabinet (known as the Council of
Ministers), all of whom must be approved by the Council of Representatives.
Mexico
Ever since 1810, when Mexico became an independent country, tensions between the states and the centre
have dominated the political landscape.

The first constitution, the Constitucin de Cdiz of 1812, was modelled after the Spanish system and defined
two institutions at the regional level: municipal and state governments.

It was in the 1824 constitution that federalism was first introduced. It was conceived by the Constituent
Assembly as an institutional mechanism to preserve the union and prevent the secession of several states.

By 1835, a new Constituent Assembly had amended the constitution and eliminated federalism as a form of
government. The centralization of power became more explicit during the dictatorships that followed.

In 1857 a new constitution was drafted. The 1857 constitution sought to limit the power of the executive by
strengthening Congress. The constitution eliminated the Senate. Although this constitution recognized
federalism as a system of government, it granted the central government great economic and political
powers vis- -vis the states. Moreover, by eliminating the Senate, the states lost their representation in the
federal government.

After the civil war, a Constitutional Assembly was convened to draft a new constitution. The constitution of
1917 was modelled after the 1857 constitution and the 1875 amendments, but it granted the executive
greater discretionary powers and it included a series of social rights (education, labour, health) that
institutionalized the ideals of the Revolution. This constitution, became one of the most important institutional
pillars of Mexicos political regime.
Russia
The Russian Federation is the worlds largest federal state with more than 100 distinct
nationalities and ethnic groups. It consists of 85 federal subjects of 6 different types: 46
oblasts; 22 republics; 9 krais; 4 autonomous okrugs; 3 federal cities; and 1 autonomous
oblast.

The Head of State of the Russian Federation is the President, who is also the Supreme
Commander in Chief, and holder of the highest office.

The Government of Russia is the highest organ of executive power, the members
consisting of the Prime Minister (the Head Government), the deputy prime ministers, and
the federal ministers and their ministries and departments. The Prime Minister is selected
by the President, and then confirmed by the lower house of the Russian Parliament.

The legislature of Russia is the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, a bicameral
Parliament, consisting of the 450 member State Duma (the lower house), and the 166
member Federation Council (the upper house).
Switzerland
The Swiss federal system consists of three levels of governance. Authority is shared
between the Confederation (central state), the 26 cantons (the federal states), and the
2,352 communes.

Each of these three levels has legislative and executive powers. In addition, the
Confederation and the cantons have judicial powers.

The Confederations authority is restricted to the powers expressly conferred to it by the

Federal Constitution. All other areas, such as education and health care, are the
responsibility of the cantons which enjoy considerable autonomy. Some of the
responsibilities of the communes are expressly assigned to them by the Confederation,
or by the canton of which they are a part. However, communes can also legislate
when cantonal law does not specifically refer to issues that affect them directly.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is composed of 7 emirates (constituent monarchies). The UAE
is a federal, presidential, absolute monarchy.

According to tradition, the (hereditary) ruler of Abu Dhabi is the President and Head of
State, while the (hereditary) ruler of Dubai is the Prime Minister and Head of
Government.

The Federal Supreme Council consists of the rulers of all seven emirates, and in theory
this council elects the President and Prime Minister to serve five year terms.

The federal legislature of the UAE is the unicameral Federal National Council, which is
composed of 40 members.

Each of the constituent emirates which make up the union has its own (hereditary)
ruler, and it is they who are responsible for dictating governance reform within their
territory.
United States of America
The United States is a federal constitutional republic which consists of 50 States, one
federal district (Washington DC), one incorporated territory (Palmyra Atoll), and a
number of inhabited and uninhabited territories.

The President of the United States is both the Head of State and Head of the
Government. The president is head of the executive branch, which is independent of
the legislature. Legislative power is vested in the bicameral Congress, which is
composed of the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the
lower house).

State governments also have significant authority in their respective states. Individual
states have their own constitutions and the right to make laws in specific areas where
legislative power is not the prerogative of the federal government, unless the power to
do so is denied by the Constitution.

State governments, like the federal government, have executive, legislative, and
judicial branches. Executive power is exercised by popularly elected governors.
References

http://www.forumfed.org/
http://www.livescience.com/33027-what-are-the-different-types-of-governments.html