What is a Federal State? What are the problems usually associated with a Federal system of government?

Answer Details

Meaning of a Federal State

A federal state is a state in which governmental powers are constitutionally divided and shared between a central (national) government and component units (states or regions), with each tier being coordinate and independent within its own sphere of authority, and with the whole arrangement guaranteed by a written and rigid constitution.

Problems usually associated with a federal system of government

1. Conflict over division of powers: Disputes frequently arise between the central and unit governments over their respective areas of jurisdiction, leading to friction.
2. Threat of secession: Component units may seek to break away from the union, endangering national unity, as happened in the Nigerian civil war.
3. Problem of revenue allocation: Sharing national revenue fairly among the tiers and units is difficult and a constant source of tension.
4. Expensive to operate: The duplication of legislative, executive and judicial institutions at both levels makes the system costly to run.
5. Ethnic and regional rivalry: Federalism can encourage sectionalism, ethnicity and unhealthy competition among the units.
6. Rigidity and delay: The rigid constitution and the need for consensus between tiers can make decision-making and reform slow and cumbersome.
7. Uneven development: Differences in resources among units may create disparities in the pace of development and breed grievances.
8. Overlapping of functions: The concurrent exercise of powers may cause confusion, duplication and inter-governmental conflict.