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You are here: Home / Polity / Federal System

Federal System

April 9, 2020 by BureaucratONE Leave a Comment Last Updated April 9, 2020

  • Based on relation b/w centre & state
    • Federal
    • Unitary
  • National govt = Federal govt = central govt = Union govt
Table of Contents hide
1 Federal vs Unitary features of Govt
2 Federal features of the Constitution
3 Unitary feature of the constitution
4 Critical evalution of the federal system

Federal vs Unitary features of Govt

Federal GovtUnitary Govt
1Dual govtSingle govt
2Written ConstitutionUnwritten or written
3DOPNo DOP
4Supremacy of ConstitutionMay or may not
5Rigid constitutionrigid or flexible
6Independent Jmay or may not
7Bicameral LegBicameral or unicameral
Federal vs Unitary features of Govt
  • Federation = foedus (latin) = treaty or agreement
  • Units of federation
    • States - USA, India
    • Cantons - Switzerland
    • Provinces - Canada
    • Republics - Russia
  • Formation thro
    • Integration - USA - weak states together
    • Disintegration - Canada - big strong state into autonomous small state
  • US - 1st & Oldest federation - 1787 - After American Revolution 1775 - 83
  • India
    • Reasons
      • Large size
      • Socio-cultural diversity
    • A1 - Union of state not Federation of State bcos
      • fed not result of agreement
      • no rt to cede
    • Based on Canadian model
      • formation - disintegration
      • Union of Canada or India
      • centralising tendency

Federal features of the Constitution

  1. Dual Polity
    • union at centre
    • states at peripheral
  2. Written constitution
    • specifies structure, org, powers and fn of state & centre
  3. Division of power
    • 7th schedule
      • Union List - 100(97)
      • State List - 61(66)
      • Concurrent List - 52(47)
  4. Supremacy of the constitution
  5. Rigid constitution
    1. Spl Majority + 50% states ratification
  6. Independent J
    1. Settle disputes b/w centre & state
  7. Bicameralism

Unitary feature of the constitution

  1. Strong Centre
    • Overriding authority over concurrent list
    • Residuary power
    • More subjects to centre and increase over time
  2. States not indestructible
    • Indestructible union of destructible states
  3. Single constitution
    • except J & K
  4. Flexibility of the constitution
    • Less rigid than other federation
    • Only parliament can initiate amendment except LC
    • Most amendment - simple or spl majority
  5. No equality of state representation
  6. Emergency provision
  7. Single citizenship
  8. Integrated judiciary
    • Enforce both federal & state law
  9. AIS
  10. Integrated Audit Machinery
    • CAG audits both state & centre
    • CAG is appointed and removed by prez without consulting states
  11. Parliaments authority over state list
    • If RS passes resolution
  12. Appointment of Governor
    • agent of centre like Canadian (US election)
  13. Integrated election machinery (US separate)
  14. Veto over state bills
    • Prez has absolute veto not suspensive veto

Critical evalution of the federal system

  • Tilting in BOP in favour of centre
  • K C Wheare - Quasi Federal
    • Unitary state with subsidiary federal feature rather than federal state with subsidiary unitary features
  • K Santhanam - practically unitary state but formally & legally federal bcos
    • dependence of states upon the central grants
    • PC
  • Paul Appleby - Extremely federal
  • Morris Jones - Bargaining federalism
  • Ivor Jennings - federation with a strong centralising tendency
    • Mainly federal with unique safegaurds for enforcing national unity and growth
  • Alexandrowicz - sui generis i.e unique in character
  • Granville Austin - Cooperative federalism
    • New kind of federation to meet India's peculiar needs
  • BRA
    • Federal - dual polity; independent leg & exe authority
    • No federalism word - both unitary or federal acc. to requirements of time & circumstances
    • Union not a league of states or states agencies of union
  • Bommai Case 1994
    • Constitution is federal & fed is BS
    • Emergency is an exception & exceptions are not a rule - so ok
    • Fed is not administrative convenience but one of principle
  • Fed represents compromise b/w two conflicting considerations
    • DOP & Autonomy
    • National Integrity & Strong Union under exceptional circumstances

Filed Under: Polity

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