Federal States Unitary States and the Process of

Federal States, Unitary States and the Process of Devolution Quick Learn

Every state has different layers of government. However, geographic distribution of power varies. Federalism and Unitary distribution are the two main type of spatial organization of government.

Unitary Systems n n n Political power (policy making) is in ONE GEOGRAPHIC PLACE Highly centralized government (predated democracy) Capital cities represent authority Local government exists, but has no separate power Ideal for relatively small land space

Examples of Unitary States n n n United Kingdom- London Spain- Madrid China-Beijing Chile- Santiago (W. Coast of S. America) Angola-Luanda (most of Africa) Thailand- Bangkok(most of SE Asia)

Federal- Green Unitary- Blue

Federal System n n Power and policy making is divided between a central government and geographic sub units Developed in areas where no single city dominated Works well with larger land space Accommodates regional interests

Examples of Federalism n n n n Mexico (states) Germany (lander) Canada (provinces) India (states) Brazil (states) Nigeria (states) Australia (states and territories)

Is there ever a mix? Confederal Systems n n n Power geographically spread among sub units Weak (very) central government Southern United States under the Articles of Confederation, Swiss Cantons

Devolution n Movement of power from a central government to sub-government Usually a reaction to centrifugal forces (divide and destabilize) Ethnic, Economic, and Spatial

Devolution- Ethnic Forces n n People who share a well- developed sense of belonging to the same culture (language, religion, customs) Multiple ethnicities can threaten territorial integrity-Ethnonationalism ¡ ¡ French-Canadians in Quebec Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland Pakistan Yugoslavia- Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro Balkanization

Economic Devolution n Economic inequalities can pull a state apart- especially if they are regional Italy’s Ancona line divides north and south- movement towards federalism Spain- Catalonia is 17% of Spain’s population but 40% of Spain’s industrial exports

Catalonia: Center of Spanish banking

Spatial forces of Devolution n Areas that are the margins of the state Distance, remoteness, peripheral location Water, desert, mountains ¡ ¡ France (Corsica) China (Taiwan) Indonesia (East Timor) US claims Puerto Rico as a territory, many Puerto Ricans advocate full separation

Timor was declared Indonesia’s 27 th province in 1975 and self determined (UN Backed in 1995)