Question

Why does the exact balance of power between central and state governments vary from one federation to another ? Explain with two examples.

Answer 1

Answer:

The exact balance of power between the central and the state government varies from one federation to another. This balance of power mainly depends on the historical context in which the federation was formed.

The Federations have been formed from two kinds of routes which are given below:

1. Coming Together Federation
2. Holding Together Federation

India, Belgium, Spain are examples of the Holding Together Federations. Australia, Switzerland, and the USA are examples of Coming together Federations.

Coming Together Federation

• This is the first route of the Federations.
• All the constituent States usually have equal power and are strong vis-à-vis the federal government.
• When Independent states came together on their own to form a bigger unit, to increase security, to retain identity, and by pooling sovereignty is known as Coming together Federation.

Holding Together Federation

• This is the second route of Federations.
• Here, the powers are divided between the national Government and constituent states by a large country.
• In the Holding Together Federation the Central Government tends to be more powerful than the States.
• Some units have special powers, and usually unequal powers are given to different constituent units of the Federation.