Have you ever considered what it would be like if state or "sub-national" governments had less power and the central (national) government exerted more control?
Here in the US, our state governments play a vital role in our daily lives, thanks to our system of Federalism. However, this is not the case in the many countries around the world that use a unitary government system.
This article aims to open your mind to a different type of governance and help you learn more about what a unitary government is and how it differs from a federal government.
Unitary Government Definition
A unitary government is a system that has a strong central government that controls what subnational governments do. A single central entity holds all power and authority.
Figure 1. Unitary Government Diagram, StudySmarter Originals
Difference Between a Unitary and Federal Government
There are two types of states created by constitutions based on the distribution of power: unitary governments and federal governments. Both unitary and federal government systems feature a central government. However, the central government has supreme authority over governance in a unitary government. Unitary governments usually have sub-national governments called devolutions that have some power and control. However, the central government has the ability to take authority over these devolutions at any point in time. Usually, there is only one subnational government level that is either local or municipality based.
Devolution
Devolutions are sub-national governments, such as state, local, or regional governments, to which the central government transfers power. However, they may be restricted or withdrawn at any point in time.
In a federal system, there are sub-national governments, as well. However, these subnational governments have a certain amount of autonomy granted to them by the constitution, which the central government can not take away. These subnational governments can create and amend laws, with the federal government having more authority over broader topics, such as national security. In federal systems, typically, there are two levels of subnational governments, with one being the intermediary (In the US, states are the intermediary between the national government and local subnational governments.
Usually, in a federal government, constitutions are more specific on how to separate powers between the central and subnational governments. In being a bit more rigid, it attempts to prevent the central government from abusing its power and prevent the sovereignty of subnational governments from being threatened. Due to this, Federal government constitutions are difficult to amend. In a unitary government, constitutions tend to be easier to amend. Since they're easy to amend, they're able to quickly meet the people's demands at that point in time.
The United States and Unitary Government
The United States, as a whole, is considered a federal government because of the creation of a central government, states, and local governments. However, the way states themselves actually govern is more like a unitary government. Local governments only have powers that have been devolved to them from the state government. Additionally, local governments must implement state laws, whether they want to or not.
Advantages of Unitary Government
There are a few advantages of a unitary government.
- Quick Response. A unitary government is usually quick to respond to crises because there is only a single level of government and does not have to rely on a response from subnational levels.
- Cost-Effective. It is cost-effective because there aren't so many levels of bureaucracy to maintain.
- Unity. Since the majority of power remains in a central government, policies have more uniformity, which helps promote unity among citizens and reduces polarity.
- Efficiency. Decisions can be made quickly because there is no need to go through multiple layers of approval to be implemented.
- Flexibility of Constitution. The constitution is able to be changed rapidly if the need arises.
Disadvantages of Unitary Government
While there are some advantages to a unitary government, there are also some disadvantages to a unitary government.
Political Minority Representation. The needs of political minority groups are often not met because of the large scope of government. Therefore unitary governments tend to favour what the majority wants to expedite governance.
Dictatorships. Unitary governments might result in a dictatorship because of the high centralization of power.
Lack of political participation: Since the central government decides everything, people may not feel they have a voice and refuse to be politically active.
Lack of understanding. Unitary Governments tend to focus on bigger picture issues and may not understand what their citizens need at a local level.
Corruption. Corruption is more likely to occur due to the concentration of power in the central entity.
Figure 2. The United Kingdom is a unitary state. Wikimedia Commons
Unitary Government Examples
Unitary government can come in the form of both democracies and authoritarian states. The following are some unitary government examples:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is a unitary government governed by the UK Parliament. It is made up of England and includes three countries with devolved governments: Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. These three devolved governments have primary and secondary legislative powers through the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, and Welsh Parliament. The Scottish Parliament also has a wide range of additional powers, such as setting income tax rates, revenue-raising powers, employment programs, railway policing, and social security.
Primary legislative powers
Primary Legislative Powers are the main laws/acts that are passed by UK legislatures (UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament. Northern Ireland Assembly.
Secondary legislative powers
Secondary Legislative Powers are rules and regulations issued by governmental entities, such as ministers, that have been given this power by Parliament.
Figure 3. Regions and Prefectures of Japan. Wikimedia Commons
Japan
Japan is also a unitary government. It is divided into 47 prefectures (subdivisions). The emperor is considered the head of state. However, his role is purely ceremonial. The cabinet and the Prime Minister are the ones who control the government. However, the Japanese government has devolved power into local governments, thanks to their 1947 Constitution. As is customary in unitary governments, the local government's scope is limited to what the central government wants.
China
China is an example of an authoritarian unitary government. In its constitution adopted in 1982, the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the supreme authority in China, making the CPC leader the most influential person in China. The National People's Congress (NPC) is meant to have all legislative power. However, they only meet once every 5 years. When not in session, the Central Committee, the CPC's governing body, governs the nation. If the Central Committee is not in session, then the Political Bureau is in charge. The Central Committee and Political Bureau are led by the General Secretary, the CPC's leader.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a unitary government with local self-governance by 81 municipalities. Its central government is run by the executive branch of the country, which is made up of the president and the cabinet. In 2010 a law was adopted devolving even more power to local governments. It stated that any powers not explicitly given to the central government could be devolved to local governments.
Unitary Government - Key takeaways
- A unitary government is one where the central government exerts authority over subnational levels.
- A unitary government can decentralize power by devolving powers to subnational governments. However, these powers can always be removed.
- A unitary government is different from a federal government because, in a federal government, the constitution has granted some sovereignty to subnational governments.
- One of the benefits of a unitary government is the unity that it promotes amongst its citizens.
- One of the disadvantages of unitary government is that the centralization of power may lead to corruption.
- Some examples of unitary governments are: the UK, China, Costa Rica, and Japan.
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