Federal democracies

Definition

Federal democracies are systems of government where power is divided between central authorities and regional or state governments. Both levels have their own areas of jurisdiction.

Analogy

Think of federal democracies like an apartment building with individual units. Each unit has its own residents who can make decisions about their space (state governments), but there are also common areas managed by an overall building management (central authority).

Related terms

Unitary system: In contrast to federalism, unitary systems concentrate power at the national level with little or no autonomy for regional governments.

Devolution: This term refers to transferring some powers from central authorities to regional or local governments within a country.

Confederation: A loose association of states or regions with limited central authority. It grants more autonomy to individual members compared to federalism.