In this article you will learn about the Merits and Demerits of Federation in Political Science.
Merits and Demerits of Federation
Merits :
1. Federation is the most suitable system for every big state. In fact, almost all big states of our times, with a few exceptions like China, have adopted federation. It itself provides strength to the idea of the World State. The sovereign independent states of the world can be expected to join only a world federation and not a World State.
2. Federation constitutes the only hope for the small states of the world to combine to secure the gains of union and yet maintain their individual and autonomous entities. It alone offers hope to small nationalities claiming the right of self-determining and seeking independence. These can secure their objectives by agreeing to form federal unions.
3. Federation constitutes the best possible means to secure strength and autonomy for the small states. By uniting into a federation these can secure their security against possible external threats. Federation can enable them to maintain individual entities as parts of the federation.
4. Federation involves a division of work between the federal/central government and several state governments of the federal units. The national government concentrates upon the task of satisfying the common national needs, demands and goals of development and the state governments concentrate upon the satisfaction of local needs. The national and state governments together combine their efforts to fruitfully exploit all resources and secure economic, industrial and technological development through the optimum utilisation of resources.
5. A federal system is indeed a truly democratic system. It divides power between the central government and the state governments and as such ensures a democratic decentralisation of powers. Each government works within its limited and clearly defined sphere of powers as demarcated by the constitution. As such their powers remain limited. Neither they can become despotic nor can even behave arbitrarily and despotically. Division of powers between the centre and the states is a source of unity in diversity, strength with autonomy, and full local-central participation for development.
6. With the principle of unity in diversity as its backbone, the federation makes it possible for the states with social, economical, cultural, linguistic, religion and regional diversities, to maintain themselves as states. It makes it possible for a state with several diversities to successfully balance the centripetal and centrifugal forces and maintain its unity and integrity as a nation-state. Thus, the federation constitutes the best means for harmonising these diversities with the need for national unity. The self-governments at the regional or local levels help the diverse interests to get satisfied without in any way restraining the unity and integrity of the nation as a whole.
7. Laski describes federation as a natural form of organising a state. He observes, “since the society is federally constituted by groups of individuals, federation alone can be the most suitable form”.
8. The Federation constitutes the best school of political education. The working of several governments within a federation ensures greater participation of the people in the political process. Being based upon the democratic principles of decentralisation, equal and free participation of all people, limited government and unity in diversity the federation acts as an excellent school of political education.
This article on Merits and Demerits of Federation in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.