In this article you will learn about the Federal State in Political Science.
Federal State
A Federal State or a Federation is a state with one central (federal) government and several state governments existing side by side with the former acting for the whole territory and all the people of the state, and the latter acting within their respective state (non sovereign states) or provisions. Each state exercises power over a definite sphere and performs functions as allocated to it by the constitution of the state. In other words in a federation, there is a division of powers between one central (federal) government and several state governments each of which works at the provincial level. USA, India, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Pakistan, Russia, and in fact all large and big states are Federal States.
Federation : Meaning
The term “Federation” stands derived from the latin word “Foedus” which means agreement or treaty. As such etymologically speaking, a federation is a state that comes into existence by an agreement and treaty among several states. When several small states decide to merge and form one big sovereign state but at the time retain one part of authority, the other being vested with the government of the state formed by them, the system that emerges is called a ‘Federation’ and ‘Federal State’. For example, the USA is a federation. It was originally formed by the thirteen small states which secured independence from the yoke of British imperialism and then entered into an agreement to form the United States of America.
However, this example and the above analysis should not be taken to mean that it is the only method by which a federation can come into existence. A Federation can come into existence in another way. A big sovereign state can decide to reorganise itself as a State with one common central government and several state governments, each working within a particular portion of the territory of the state and enjoying internal autonomy of running the administration.
As such, we can define ‘federation’ as a state organised either when several sovereign states combine to form a single big sovereign state or when a big sovereign state reorganises itself into a federation. The hallmark of every federation is a division of powers between one central government on the one hand and several state governments on the other.
Federal State/Federation : Some Popular Definitions
(1) According to Montesquieu, “Federal government is a convention (agreement) by which several similar states or smaller states agree to become members of a large one.”
(2) Hamilton defines Federation as “an association of states that form a new one.”
(3) Defining a Federal State, K.C. Wheare writes : “In a Federal State the powers of the government are divided between the government for the whole country and governments for parts of the country in such a way that each government is legally independent within its own sphere.” “It is a method of dividing powers so that the general (central) and regional governments each working within a sphere coordinate and are independent.”
(4) In the words of Sir Herbert Samuel, “Federation is a system in which there is a central authority that represents the whole and acts on behalf of the whole in external affairs and in such internal affairs as are held to be common interest; and in which there are also provincial authorities with powers of legislature and administration within the spheres allotted to them by the constitution.”
(5) According to Garner, “Federal Government can be defined as a system of central and local governments combined under a common sovereignty, both the central and local governments being supreme within definite spheres, marked out for them by the general constitution or by the act of parliament which creates the system.
(6) C.F. Strong defines a Federation as a state “in which a number of coordinate states unite for certain common purposes. In a federal state, the powers of the central or federal authority are limited by certain powers secured to the units which have unified for common purpose. This being the case, there must be some authority which determines the distribution. This authority is the constitution itself.”
These definitions clearly show that a Federation is a system of government in which the constitution of the state divides all powers between one central government and several state governments (governments of federating units), each of which exercises power in its allotted sphere.
This article on Federal State in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.