The early modern states that emerged in Europe were absolute monarchies.

They were predominantly hierarchic or organic states with power vested in the
hands of the monarch. But as their economies underwent change culminating in
the industrial revolution, political ideas about how people should be governed
too underwent a change. The American and French revolutions in the latter half
of the 18th century gave a blow to monarchy and brought about republican and
democratic forms of government. Even in countries where democratic ideas had
not gained popularity, the rulers realized that the power can't be managed
entirely by a central authority and that there was a need for decentralisation. The
two major political systems which emerged on the basis of distribution of power
between different political units of a state were unitary and federal systems.
With the changing nature of the state and the economy in the post-War years,
the boundaries between the unitary and federal have become blurred. Today,
most political systems contain some features which are unitary and others which
are federal. So, what have to see is whether a government is basically unitary or
basically federal. In this unit, we will deal with the evolution of these two forms
of government and their core features.

UNITARY GOVERNMENT 

Unitary government is a government system in which a single power, known as

the central government, controls the whole government. All powers and
administrative divisions authorities lies at the central place. A unitary
government can be both a democracy and a monarchy. In both cases, the power
is concentrated in the hands of the central government, while provinces and
regions do not enjoy large autonomy. The underlying principle of any unitary
government is the idea of unity. If the power is in the hands of few (even if
those few are elected by the population), it is easier to create cohesive and equal
laws and norms that apply to all citizens (in all parts of the country) without
discrimination.

Today most of the government systems in the world are based on a unitary
system of government. It is slightly different from the federal model of
government. In a unitary government, the central government has the power to
increase or curtail the power of subnational units. It can create and abolish the
same. U.K., Afghanistan, Italy, China, Saudi Arabia, Spain, etc., are important
examples of the unitary government. The unitary government system is based
on consistency, unity, and identity. That's why the centralization of power and
authority system remains the top priority.

The decision-making power rests with the central government, which the
government shares with the lower-level government when needed. There are not
so many options for change and innovation as the people have a minimal voice
in this government system. There are many merits and demerits of the unitary
government. It is useful in the term that rules and regulations in this government
system remain consistent and equal throughout the country.

Moreover, it is less expensive than the federal government because the number
of powerful people remains very low. In an emergency, it makes timely
decisions compared to the federal government system. But at the same time, the
concept of freedom of speech and expression always remains a low priority.
That's why most of the principles of unitary government are much similar to
that of a dictatorship system of government. Its distinctive feature is given as
follows;

1. The concentration of Powers:

A unitary government is one in which all the powers of administration are

vested in a single centre. The centre is omnipotent. A unitary state may be
divided into small units for administrative convenience, but the units do not
have constitutional status. In other words, the constitution does not confer any
powers on the units. The central government delegates certain powers to the
units on its own accord. The units are, therefore, subordinate agents of centre.
The powers enjoyed by them are the gifts of the centre, and as such, these can
be taken back at any moment. The units are thus not autonomous and
independent in any way.

2. Single Government:

In a unitary government, there is a single set of governmental apparatus. There

is a supreme legislature, a single executive body, and one supreme judiciary.
England, for example, is a unitary state. She has one Parliament as her
legislature, the King-in-Council as the executive, and the House of Lords
judicial committee as her supreme judiciary.

3. Written or unwritten Constitution:

A unitary government may or may not have a written constitution. For example,
England and France are unitary states. France has a written constitution, but
England has none.

4. Rigid or Flexible Constitution:

Unlike a federation, a unitary state may or may not have a rigid constitution,
e.g., the constitution of England is flexible, but that of France is slightly rigid.

5. No Special Judiciary:

There is no need to have a special judiciary with wide powers of judicial veto in
a unitary government. Even the highest court of the U.K., for example, cannot
sit in judgment over the law passed by Parliament.
Advantages of Unitary System

The main advantages of the unitary structure of government are:

1. For countries that are smaller in size, a unitary structure is the most suitable.

2. It is less expensive as there is no extensive authority to be funded.

3. Unitary structure is quick in decision-making as all the decisions are made by

a single authority.

4. There is no chance of conflicts as all the power is vested with the centre.

Disadvantages of Unitary System

A unitary system of government is a good system for small nations. Yet, it still
has disadvantages too. And, these are:

1. The unitary system is not suitable for geographically large countries. Because
in unitary system full power is only in the hands of centre and they may
probably not have access to rural areas.

2. Central government may not have any knowledge about the problems and
needs of the people living in rural areas.

3. There is a lack of efficiency as the central government is usually burdened

with lots of responsibilities and functions.

4. Under the unitary form of government, the country may face unequal
development and growth. The central government can find it extremely tough to
develop every part of the nation at the same time without delegation of authority
and powers.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Federal government is a type of national government in which government has

the power to delegate the power to other elected members of the states. There
can be two levels of the federal government in a country either it is performed
through common institutions or powers as prescribed by a state constitution. It
is the opposite of the unitary government. In a federation or federal government,
provinces or territories enjoy some rights available to the independent states. In
a federal system, regions and provinces enjoy a higher degree of autonomy. The
largest federation in the world is the United States. In this case, the 50 states
enjoy autonomy and even have different laws and regulations on a number of
matters. Yet, at the same time, they remain linked and subject to the decisions
of the central government. In a federal system, provinces and regions have the
possibility of creating laws and regulations that better capture the needs and
unicity of specific areas.

Yet, some powers always remain in the hands of the central government,
including:

 International diplomacy;
 Foreign affairs:
 Decision to start or end a war;
 National security;
 Taxes;
 National budget; and
  Immigration policies.

The link between local authorities and central government is usually very
strong, although not all federal systems work in the same way. Of the 27
federations existing today, most are republics and democracies (i.e. United
States, Switzerland, India, Brazil, etc.) but there are also some monarchies, such
as Canada, Belgium and Australia.

However, the federal government solely makes international diplomacy,

national security, foreign affairs, and other kinds of international dealings.
Pakistan, India, Brazil, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Canada, etc., are
significant examples of the federal government. Mostly the federal government
system is referred to as the United States government. This government is based
on republicanism and federalism. In the federal system, power is jointly shared
between the state and federal governments. In the federal government system,
the powers never rest with one national government. However, certain powers
and authorities can remain totally with the federal government, like policies on
defense, budget, international diplomacy, etc. The hierarchy of power in the
federal government system starts from the federal level and then flows to the
state and the local level. Its distinctive feature is given as follows;
1. Division of Powers:
In a federal government, the powers of administration are divided between the
centre and the units. The powers may be distributed in two different ways.
Either the constitution states what powers the federal authority shall have and
leaves the remainder to the federating units, or it states what powers the
federating units shall possess and leaves the remainder to the federal authority.
The remainder is generally known as residuary powers. The first method was
employed in America and the second in Canada. For example, the federal
government in the U.S.A. is weak in relation to the states, whereas the federal
government in Canada is more powerful. In a federation, the federal and state
governments are independent and autonomous in the spheres of their powers.
'One is not subordinate to the other. Both derive their powers from the
constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. Therefore, the units' powers
are original and not delegated by the centre.

2. Separate Government:
In a federal form of government, the centre and the units have separate
governmental apparatus. America is a federation of states. States have,
therefore, separate legislatures and Separate executives.

3. Written Constitution:
A federal government must have a written constitution. As a federation is a
political partnership of various states, there must be a written agreement in the
form of a written constitution.

4. Rigid Constitution:
The constitution of a federation should be more or less rigid. It is regarded as a
sacred agreement, the spirit of which should not be easily violated. A flexible
constitution allows the central government's scope to curtail the federating
states' autonomy.

5. Special Judiciary:
In a federation, there are possibilities of constitutional disputes arising between
the federal centre and the units or between one unit and another. All these
disputes are to be adjudicated in the light of the constitution. For this purpose, a
special judiciary with wide powers must be established. It should act as the
custodian and guardian of the constitution. It should be vested with powers of
declaring any law, national or local, ultra vires if it is at variance with the
articles of the constitution. The constitution is thus the supreme law in a
federation to which both the centric and the state must adhere.

Advantages of Federal System

The main advantages of the federal structure of government are:

1. Centralisation of powers leads to dictatorship. The federal system safeguards

the separation of powers and thus prevents tyranny or dictatorship.

2. As power is divided between the union and the state, this structure is efficient
in terms of governance and administration.

3. The state or provinces enjoy some separate rights.

4. The division of powers between the central and state government brings
excellent utilisation of resources. The central government can focus more on
international affairs and the country’s defence, while the state government can
deal with the regional needs.

Disadvantages of Federal System

Along with the advantages of the federal system, there are also some
disadvantages. These are:

1. This system of government is costly because there are many people elected at
the office, both in the centre and the state.

2. Too many elected representatives with overlapping roles may lead to

corruption.
3. It enables regional inequalities as the natural resources, employment
opportunities, etc., are different in every region or state.

4. The decision-making becomes more difficult sometimes.