Introduction: How Countries Share the Power
Welcome to section 1.7! So far, we have looked at who has power and how they get it. Now, we are going to look at where that power actually lives. Think of it like a smartphone: is all the data stored on one central "cloud" server (Unitary), or is the storage split between the phone itself and the cloud (Federal)? In this chapter, we will break down the two main ways countries organize their authority and see how our six course countries fit into these categories.
1. The Two Big Systems: Federal vs. Unitary
Before we dive into specific countries, let's define our two main "blueprints" for government structure.
Unitary Systems
In a unitary system, the central (national) government holds all the primary authority. If there are local or regional governments (like cities or counties), they only have the power that the central government chooses to give them. The central government can usually take that power away at any time.
Analogy: Imagine a classroom where the teacher makes all the rules. The teacher might let a student "leader" pick the game for recess, but the teacher can change their mind and pick a different game whenever they want.
Federal Systems
In a federal system, power is divided between the national government and regional governments (such as states, provinces, or republics). This division of power is usually protected by a constitution, meaning the central government cannot easily take away the powers belonging to the regions.
Analogy: Imagine a group project where one student is in charge of the overall presentation, but another student has total "sovereignty" over the graphics, and another has total control over the research. One person can't just take over the other person's job without changing the "contract."
2. Federal States: Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia
In the AP Comparative Government course, three of our countries are classified as federal. They divide power to help manage large populations or diverse groups of people.
Mexico (The United Mexican States)
Mexico uses a federal system to manage its different regions. One way we see this in action is through policy diversity. For example, because Mexico is federal, different states can have different laws on specific issues, such as varied local abortion policies.
Nigeria (The Federal Republic of Nigeria)
Nigeria is incredibly diverse, with hundreds of ethnic groups and a major split between the North (mostly Muslim) and the South (mostly Christian). To keep the country together, Nigeria uses a federal system with 36 states.
Key Feature: To ensure the president has broad support across the whole country (and not just from one ethnic group), presidential candidates must meet a specified vote distribution across the states to win.
Russia (The Russian Federation)
Russia is the largest country in the world, so it uses a federal system to manage its many regions and ethnic republics.
Key Feature: Russia has a bicameral legislature (two houses). One house, the Federation Council, is specifically designed to represent the regions. While the central government in Russia has become much stronger recently, it is still officially organized as a federation.
Quick Takeaway: Federal systems are often used in countries with large territories or deep internal divisions (like different religions or ethnicities) to give local people a sense of control.
3. Unitary States: China, Iran, and the United Kingdom
The other three countries in our course concentrate power at the national level.
China (People's Republic of China)
China is a classic unitary state. The Communist Party of China maintains strict control over the entire country. While there are local governments, they must follow the directions of the central government in Beijing. There is no independent power for the regions.
Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran)
Iran is a unitary theocracy. Power is concentrated in the hands of the Supreme Leader and the central government in Tehran. Local officials do not have constitutional protections to act independently of the central religious and political authorities.
The United Kingdom
The UK is a unitary state, but it does something very interesting called devolution. The central government in London decided to "hand down" certain powers to regional parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Important Distinction: Even though Scotland has its own parliament, the UK is still unitary. Why? Because the central Parliament in London technically has the power to take those devolved powers back. They gave the power away to maintain stability and satisfy regional identities, but they didn't "split" the sovereignty permanently like a federal system does.
Quick Takeaway: Unitary systems emphasize national unity and efficient, uniform law-making, though they may "devolve" power to keep regions happy.
4. Summary Comparison Table
Here is a quick way to remember which country is which:
FEDERAL (Shared Power)
1. Mexico (Regional policy differences)
2. Nigeria (36 states, ethnic quotas)
3. Russia (Represented in the Federation Council)
UNITARY (Concentrated Power)
1. China (Communist Party central control)
2. Iran (Theocratic central control)
3. United Kingdom (Uses devolution to Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland)
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Thinking the UK is Federal. Because Scotland has its own Parliament, students often think the UK is federal. It is not. It is a unitary system that uses devolution. The power is "on loan" from the central government.
Mistake 2: Forgetting Nigeria's Presidential Rule. Remember that Nigeria's federalism is tied to its elections. A president can't just win one big region; they need spread-out support across the states. This is a common question on the AP exam!
Mistake 3: Confusing "State" and "Nation". (Cross-reference: See Chapter 1.2). In federal systems like Mexico and Nigeria, the word "state" refers to a regional government (like Chiapas or Lagos). In general political science, "state" refers to the whole country.
6. Practice Check: "Did You Know?"
Did you know that Russia's federalism has changed over time? The central government has changed how members of the Federation Council are selected to gain more control over the regions. This shows that even in "federal" systems, the balance of power between the center and the regions can shift!