Types of government based on relation b/w state and nation

• Unitary government
• All the powers are vested in the central government and if the state /regional governments existed
they do derive their power and privilege from central government – Ex Britain, Greenland, China,
japan and France
• Federal government
• Powers are divided bw the state and national government and powers were derived from the
constitution itself
• EX- America, India , Canada and Russia
• India is federal government with unitary features.
• ( In Constitution of India there where no mentioning of federalism but in article 1 it is said that India is
union of states which emphasis Federalism )
 Federal vs Unitary
Federal
• Dual Government
• Written Constituion
• Division of powers b/w central
and state.
• Supermacy of the constitution
• Rigid Constitution
• Independent judiciary
• Bicameral legislature
Unitary
• Single government
• Both Written(France ) and
Unwritten ( Britain )
• No Divisions of Power
• Flexible ( Britain) Rigid (France )
Both Bicameral and unicameral
Legislature.
Essential Features of Federal Policy
• Dual Government
• National / Federal Government and Government of Each State
• A Federal State is fusion of several state into a single State in regard to the
matters influencing the common interest.
• In other matters the state can exercise its autonomy
• Both federal and state govt draw their power from the constitution.
• State can never secede form the union at its will.
• Power Distribution- Division of Authority B/W state and Central/
Federal Government.
Supremacy of the Constitution- Legislative power , Executive Power and
Judicial Power belonging to Central/ Federal and sate are derived from
Constitution thus making it supremacy.
Authority of Courts- it is every much essential to maintain the division of
powers between the central/ Federal government and state government
and so the court has the final and supreme authority to interpret the
constitution and could nullify an act by Federal/ state government.

Our Supreme Court has observed that Indian Constitution is basically

federal form