A national parliament passes legislation stripping all regional governments of their independent tax authority, which it had previously granted by statute. This action is most consistent with which type of political system?
AA federal system, because the central government is asserting its supremacy
BA unitary state with administrative decentralization, because subnational authority derived from statute can be reclaimed by statute
CA confederal system, because national authority is overriding regional authority
DCooperative federalism, because the center and regions are sharing fiscal powers
In a federal system, the constitution distributes powers that cannot be unilaterally reclaimed by the center through ordinary legislation — changing the division would require a constitutional amendment. The scenario describes a unitary state that had decentralized authority by statute (easily reversible) rather than by constitutional entrenchment. This is the core distinction between federalism and decentralization: federalism is constitutionally guaranteed subnational autonomy; decentralization is administratively granted and can be revoked.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
The United States' evolution from 'layer cake' to 'marble cake' federalism describes what change in intergovernmental relations?
AA shift from state sovereignty to full federal supremacy in all policy domains
BA shift from dual federalism (separate domains) to cooperative federalism (intermingled through federal grants and conditions)
CA shift from written constitutional federalism to informal convention-based arrangements
DA shift from two levels of government to three, adding a regional tier between states and the federal level
Dual federalism ('layer cake') treated federal and state governments as operating in largely separate spheres with distinct domains. Cooperative federalism ('marble cake') emerged from the New Deal era onward, as the federal government began using grants-in-aid and conditional funding to incentivize state policy, mixing the levels together. States retained formal autonomy but became financially dependent on federal transfers, creating complex intergovernmental bargaining. This did not eliminate federalism — states retained their constitutional status — but it changed how power was exercised in practice.
Question 3 True / False
In a federal system, a simple majority in the national legislature is sufficient to eliminate the constitutional powers of subnational governments.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
The defining feature of federalism is that subnational powers are constitutionally guaranteed — not granted by statute. Changing the constitutional distribution of powers requires a constitutional amendment process, which in most federal systems requires supermajority support, ratification by subnational units, or both. This is what distinguishes federal systems from unitary states with devolution. A unitary state can recentralize power with ordinary majority legislation; a federal state cannot.
Question 4 True / False
The 'laboratories of democracy' argument for federalism holds that policy experimentation in subnational units can generate innovations that are later evaluated and adopted at the national level.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
This argument, associated with Justice Brandeis, holds that when states or provinces experiment with different policies (workers' compensation, direct democracy, minimum wage laws), the variation generates evidence about what works. Successful innovations can then diffuse nationally. American states pioneered women's suffrage, direct primary elections, and various social insurance programs before they became federal policy. Critics note that this same logic allowed states to experiment with harmful policies (e.g., Jim Crow laws) without federal override.
Question 5 Short Answer
Explain why federalism and decentralization are not the same thing, and give one example of each.
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Federalism is a constitutional arrangement in which subnational governments have their own sphere of authority guaranteed by the constitution — the center cannot override or reclaim this authority without a constitutional amendment. Decentralization is an administrative or statutory arrangement in which a unitary central government grants authority to regional or local bodies but retains the power to reclaim it by ordinary legislation. Example of federalism: the United States, where states have constitutionally protected powers the federal government cannot override in their domain. Example of decentralization: France, which has devolved significant administrative functions to its regions but the national parliament could recentralize them by statute.
The sovereignty question is the key. In a federal system, sovereignty is in some sense shared or divided — the subnational units are not creatures of the center but co-equal actors under the constitution. In a unitary state with decentralization, sovereignty formally rests with the center; regional authority is delegated, not inherent. This distinction matters enormously for political stability, minority protections, and the durability of regional autonomy.