POLSCI 140 Lecture 7: Study Notes at UMich
Document Summary
Federalism is a system of government characterized by semi-autonomous states in a regime with a common central government; governmental authority is allocated constitutionally between levels of government. Federalism can be symmetric (the us) or asymmetric (canada, spain, belgium, Russia, previously the ussr, brazil, and the european union. ) Symmetric - all subnational units have the same power/national authority. Asymmetric - subnational units have varying levels power/national authority. De facto federalism vs. de jure federalism. In true federalism, each level of government has rights and responsibilities that cannot be delegated or revoked by other levels. (administrative decentralization federalism) Allowing autonomy to a local level of government but still having the power to later take away that autonomy is not federalism (or is it?) Country divided into mutually exclusive regions that cannot be unilaterally abolished by the national government. National and state governments have independent bases of authority. (usually via separate elections. )
