7) Federalism

Question 1

What defines a unitary state?

Answer 1

The central government is the only sovereign decision-maker in the state, but there are still sub-national units.

Question 2

What defines a federal state?

Answer 2

There are both a central government, but also subnational unit with constitutional rights to influence the political system.

Question 3

Why does a state has a federal structure?

Answer 3

Lack of monarchical centre.
Strong cleavages.
Multinational populations.
Size.

Question 4

What is a federation?

Answer 4

A federal state with a dual government structure, where there is a strong government, but also sub-national units.

Question 5

What is a confederation?

Answer 5

A federal state with a dual government structure, where there is a weak government and strong sub-national units.

Question 6

What defines dual federalism?

Answer 6

Between subnational units:

• Clear division of tasks.
• Own resources.
• Competition.

Question 7

What defines cooperative federalism?

Answer 7

Between subnational units:

• Stronger overlap.
• Joint decision-making.
• Shared taxation and spending.

Question 8

What is bicameralism?

Answer 8

A political system with two chambers.

Question 9

How is symmetric power in bicameralism defined?

Answer 9

The upper chamber has to approve all laws.

Question 10

How is asymmetric power in bicameralism defined?

Answer 10

The upper chamber only has to approve laws that concerns their territorial units.

Question 11

What is regionalism?

Answer 11

A process of political mobilization, where citizens are mobilized based on regional interests (bottom-up).

Question 12

What is regionalization?

Answer 12

Policies are developed by central governments for regional territories (top-down).

Question 13

What is decentralization?

Answer 13

Transfer of decision-making powers from central state to any of the subnational levels of government (political).

Question 14

What is deconcentration?

Answer 14

Transfer of some administrative functions from central state to any of the subnational levels of government (administrative).

Question 15

How are the role of regions in federal states?

Answer 15

Regions are constituted as autonomous political entities with constitutionally protected powers.

Question 16

How are the role of regions in unitary states?

Answer 16

Regional administrative institutions is simply decentralized arms of the state.

Question 17

What defines a unitary-centralized state?

Answer 17

Subnational units does not perform administrative tasks autonomisly, and they are not independent decision-makers.

Question 18

What defines a unitary-decentralized state?

Answer 18

Subnational units perform administrative tasks autonomisly, but they are not independent decision-makers.

Question 19

What defines a federal-centralized state?

Answer 19

Subnational units does not perform administrative tasks autonomisly, but they are independent decision-makers.

Question 20

What defines a feredal-decentralized state?

Answer 20

Subnational units perform administrative tasks autonomisly, and they are independent decision-makers.

Question 21

What does the veto player perspective expect from a federal system?

Answer 21

Federal decision-making less efficient, because the subnational units has veto powers (they are in a prisoner-dilemma).

Question 22

What does the liberal perspective expect from a federal state?

Answer 22

Decentral implementation is more efficient, because decentralized units have more information about the problem within a country.

Question 23

What are the main pros of a federal state?

Answer 23

Another layer of separation of power.
Encourages compromises between levels of governance.
Responsive to local needs.

Question 24

What are the main cons of a federal state?

Answer 24

Risk of conflict and stalemate between levels.
Potentially slow decision-making.
Risk of fostering national disunity.