Unitary system
Also called: Unitary government · Topic: Federalism and Centre-State Relations · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 2 "Federalism"
Meaning
A unitary system is one where there is only one level of government. If there are sub-units, they are below the centre. The centre can give them orders and can take back their powers. Sub-units have no powers of their own that are guaranteed by the constitution. Knowing this term helps you see why India's federation is said to lean towards a strong centre.
Example
Sri Lanka is still a unitary country, so its national government holds the real power. Belgium used to be unitary. In 1993 it became federal and gave its regional governments their own powers.
Don't confuse with
- Quasi-federalism: India is still a federation, only one that leans towards the Union. It is not unitary, because the states' powers are written in the Constitution.
Related concepts
- Federalism
- Features of federalism
- Coming-together federation
- Holding-together federation
- West Indies Federation
- Nigerian federation