federalism, mode of political organization that unites separate states or other polities within an overarching political system in a way that allows each to maintain its own integrity. F… See more

First, the federal relationship must be established or confirmed through a perpetual covenant of union, usually embodied in a written constitution that outlines th… See more

Second, the political system itself must reflect the constitution by actually diffusing power among a number of substantially self-sustaining centres. Such a diffusion of power may … See more

A third element of any federal system is what has been called in the United States territorial democracy. This has two faces: the use of areal divisions to ensure neutrality a… See more

Modern federal systems generally provide direct lines of communication between the citizenry and all the governments that serve them. The people may and usually do elect representat… See more