POLS 3210 Chapter 1: Contested Federalism - Chapter One
Document Summary
Federalism may be defined in terms of the division of power on the basis of territory or geography rather than function. By dividing authority between two or more orders of government to provide representation for territorial, religious, linguistic, or ethnic differences in the decision-making structures of the state creates conditions that may entrench differences over time. This chapter is about the origins of the federal idea/principle, along with different schools of thought regarding diversity and societal differences in federal systems. Federal-ism: set of beliefs about the correct way to organize political life it is complicated, must maintain unity between diverse parts and allow them to flourish and express their differences in tangible policy choices. Federalism endorses the idea for the purpose of governance, different communities may need some degree of unity without being strictly unified. Represents a want for balance between concentrated power at a national level, and dispersion of power to provinces (confederal alliance).