A federal state is a complex state consisting of two or more state entities or full-fledged states, which are called subjects. They do not have a single name and can be called differently in each individual federation. For example, lands, regions, states, cantons, etc.

When united, all members of the federation form a completely new state, and some of their own powers are transferred to the general federal authorities. At the same time, the sovereignty of the elements of the federation themselves is limited.

The division of powers between the authorities of the federation itself and its subjects is fixed in a special agreement (federal agreement) or in the constitution. It turns out that in the federation there are two systems of state authorities: which have the right to independently decide and sort out the issues remaining under their jurisdiction, as well as federal ones, whose decisions apply to all members of the federation.

Laws in a federal state are also divided into two types. The first is federal, mandatory for all subjects. The second is the laws of the members of the federation, which function only on the territory of the subject whose bodies they were adopted. At the same time, it is extremely important that the laws of the subjects fully comply with the laws of the federation and do not conflict with them or in any way contradict them. The supreme law is the constitution, and all other laws are formed on its basis.

A federation is characterized by the presence of a single currency, but dual citizenship, since a citizen of a subject of the federation is also a citizen of the entire federation as a whole.

In a standard and typical federation, all its subjects have the same rights, and are also deprived of the ability to independently decide to leave the union.

Modern federal states

Today there are 25 federal states, which are located in different parts of the globe.

Federated states of Asia: Pakistan, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, India, Iraq.

Federal states of Europe: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Russia, Germany, Switzerland.

Federated states of Africa: Sudan, Union of Comoros, Ethiopia, Nigeria.

Federated states of Australia and Oceania: Australia, Micronesia.

Federated States of America: Argentina, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, USA, Brazil, Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis.

Introduction

On the political map of the world, federations make up only one-eighth of the nearly 200 states. At the same time, the interest shown in the history and development of the federal form of internal state structure is not commensurate with the number of countries that have chosen it. One of the most frequently cited advantages of a federal structure of a state is its ability to change as time demands and the availability of a range of options for building a federation. In this regard, finding a single model of a federal structure that could be applied in all federal states seems unrealistic. Modern federalism, in the form in which it is presented in a number of countries in Europe, America, Asia and other continents, is the fruit of long-term development, the result of trial and error.

In Russia, too, the process of forming a federation continues, since it is still unclear what division of powers between the center and the subjects is optimal, and whether the federation will be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

The purpose of the course work is to analyze the history of the emergence and development of federations in modern and contemporary times in the world.

1. Give a general concept of a federation, characterize their position on the modern world map.

2. Divide existing federations into groups and characterize their features.

When writing the course work, textbooks and publications on the constitutional law of foreign countries and some publications on federalism were used.

Federal states on a modern world map

Federal state (federation)- (from Late Latin Foederatio - union, association) a form of government in which the federal units (subjects of the federation) that are part of the state have their own constitutions, legislative, executive and judicial bodies.

Currently, there are about 200 sovereign states, and only 25 of them are federations. But what role do they play in the modern world? This question can be answered unequivocally - their importance for modern society is invaluable.

Most federations are large and medium-sized states, which together contain about a third of the world's population. Of these twenty-three states, 1 is a global banking center (Switzerland), 4 are included in the “Big Eight” (USA, Russia, Canada, Germany), 6 have a high level of economic development (Russian Federation, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Malaysia, UAE) . However, there are also backward states where industry is extremely poorly developed (Nigeria) or does not exist at all (Comoros).

Federal states exist on all continents and, as a rule, occupy leading positions there.

In 2011, there were 25 federations in the world, which accounted for 12% of the total number of independent states in the world (in 1901 - 10%). Europe, Asia and America at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries remain the regions of the greatest spread of federalism (6 federations each). Asia is home to two exotic federations of monarchies - the UAE and Malaysia. Finally, 4 are in Africa, 2 are in Australia and Oceania.

Table 1. Countries with a federal administrative-territorial structure

At the same time, a number of federations that existed in the past turned out to be unviable and collapsed.

Table 2. Federations that existed in the past

A comparison shows that today there are more collapsed federations than existing ones, and countries in Africa and Asia have experimented most unsuccessfully with this form of government.

Some experts believe that it is possible to distinguish several types of federations, characterized by specific development trajectories. For 25 “constitutional” federations, there are no less than 7 types.

“Western European" type: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland- old Western European democracies, associated (Belgium, Switzerland) or not associated with the national settlement structure, with long traditions of self-government or independent statehood of its constituent parts, a stable relationship between political and ethnic identity.

“North American" type: USA, Canada, Australia- old English-speaking “settler” federations, created “from below” during the construction of liberal democracy, little connected with ethnic and other social differences, with a stable political identity, and high decentralization of state power.

“Latin American" type: Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil- old “migration” federations, created “from above” as a result of the collapse of the Spanish and Portuguese empires from parts of their colonies, not associated with ethnic differences, asymmetrical, with a large number of subjects and high centralization of state power, combined with developed institutions of self-government in the subjects. The large number of regions and the asymmetry of the federation - the creation of new full-fledged entities from territories or by dividing the “old” states, especially in areas of new development - have traditionally been used in Latin American countries as valves for regulating intra-federal relations and social tension.

“Ostrovny” type: Federated States of Micronesia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Comoros - young island federations created as a result of the collapse of colonial empires, asymmetrical and poorly integrated.

“Afro-Asian” type: India, Malaysia, UAE, formerly South Africa - young but stable centralized federations created “from above” on the basis of a compromise between the elites of previously existing federal states and/or national elites of regions that became federal subjects, highly asymmetrical, with strong differences in potential of the regions, as a rule, with the preservation of significant elements of authoritarian rule in the center and locally.

“Nigerian”type: Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar - young, highly centralized federations with unstable authoritarian regimes that arose as a result of decolonization, in which the principles of the federal structure were used by the central authorities (“from above”) as a means of preserving the unity of ethnically, socially and economically diverse regions, asymmetrical, with weak and formal institutions of local self-government, legitimized by frequent intervention of the center in the affairs of the regions, up to a radical redrawing of the borders between them

“Post-communist” type: Russian Federation, formerly Yugoslavia - countries that inherited the federation from the communist regime, and reform is complicated by a number of institutional problems.

The state structure largely determines the main directions of development and functioning of the country. Federal states, a list of countries with such a structure can be found below, are small in number today - there are only 28 of them. What is inherent in this method of management and what are its features.

The signs of such a structure are contained in the main document - the Constitution, which states what is inherent in a federal state structure, how it functions, and between which bodies state power is distributed.

The term federation itself means a federation consisting of several separate entities.

This is a voluntary union of republics that are deprived of independence or their own sovereignty. Subjects have broad political powers, but a number of issues are required to be coordinated with the governing body of the entire federation.

The subject can be either a separate state or simply a certain territorial entity (district, district), which has a number of state characteristics. All other issues of independent regulation of the internal structure are decided by the subject himself within the framework of the powers specified in the mandatory national document.

Subjects can:

• issue regional legal acts (laws, charters);
• have a personal civil institution;
• have a capital and its own symbols (flag, anthem);
• manage industrial facilities;
• have its own name, formed historically or legally;
• enter into agreements with each other.

At the same time, they cannot be part of international relations outside the federation or make all decisions without the participation of the main governing body of the country.

A federal state differs from a unitary state by the presence of two supreme authorities: a common one for the entire state and a specific subject. In addition, a confederation is a related concept; the only difference is that the members of the confederation are independent sovereign entities. In practice, it is quite difficult to distinguish them because they have very similar legal systems.

Good to know! The Swiss Union is officially considered a confederation, but in fact each canton (region) has already become a classic subject without sovereignty. But the European Union is an example of a classic confederation.

Signs

Each government system has its own distinctive features, which are spelled out in the Constitution and which determine whether the country belongs to one type or another.

Signs of federal states

Most of these powers are characterized by the presence of common features:

• the total area consists of several separate territories of the subjects;
• all three authorities in the constituent entities belong to and are subordinate to the federal government authorities, respectively;
• only a single constitution of a power can delimit the rights and obligations, as well as freedoms for the entire power and its individual subjects;
• in individual states, regions have the right to create their own constitution, which should not contradict the general Constitution;
• only national bodies have the right to conduct foreign policy activities, since only they are official representatives in the international arena;
• A 2-chamber parliament is required, which has an upper (the body represents the subjects) and a lower (it is the body of national representation) chamber.

A distinctive feature of a federal state is the presence of its own laws in its territorial bodies.

Types

Political science has its own modern classification of associations, depending on the rights that the subjects have.

Associations are:

1. Symmetrical - all regions (states) are equal to each other and have the same rights prescribed in the Constitution. A classic example is the United States, where each state is legally equal to the other.
2. Asymmetrical - each region has its own rights, according to the Constitution, and their legal status is different (Brazil).

Types of federal states

Powers are also distinguished depending on the characteristics of their formation:

1. Territorial - the creation is based on a territory that is common to several entities (USA, Germany);
2. National - the basis for unification is the same nationality of residents of different regions (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia);
3. Mixed - formation is carried out according to both characteristics at once: nationality and territory.

The methods and factors of formation for the most part determine the future nature, content and structure of the state.

Types of federal states

It is necessary to distinguish the features of formation from the method:

• contractual - concluded through negotiations between independent states that have realized the need to unite into a union;
• constitutional - created on the basis of a previously existing unitary power or empire.

Good to know! Most often, the subjects of an association that was formed by constitutional means cannot freely leave at will, since this is prohibited by the Constitution.

Types of federal states

Such countries also differ in the extent and method of decision-making by their subjects:

• centralized - all decisions are made by the main authorities, regions have only a small degree of autonomy (Argentina, Russian Federation);
• decentralized - each region is autonomous, and the main body of the federation is necessary only for centralized management of the entire country, and not a specific territory (Switzerland).

There is such a thing as a “soft federation” - a territorial-legal association of entities, each of which has the right of secession, that is. free exit. A striking example is Ethiopia, the only country in the world that is constitutionally approved in this status. The European Union can also be considered a soft form, but it is not a country under international law.

Useful video: what is a federal country

Federal states

A list of federal countries can be found on every continent. Despite the small number of such states, their territory is not inferior in size to all others.

Examples in Europe:

• Russian Federation,
• Republic of Austria,
• Switzerland,
• Republic of Germany,
• Kingdom of Belgium.

Asia is less typical for countries that have a federal administrative-territorial entity.

Federated states on the world map

Among them we can only name:

• Pakistan (Islamic),
• India,
• Democratic Republic of Nepal,
• Malaysia.

In Africa it is:

• Republic of Nigeria,
• Sudan (and South Sudan),
• Union of Comoros.

On the American continent, the most famous representative is, of course, the USA. But besides them there are also:

• Canada,
• Mexican States,
• Republic of Brazil,
• Argentine Republic.

The Commonwealth of Australia and the Federated States of Micronesia (a state in Oceania) have the same structure.

Useful video: the principle of a federal structure

Conclusion

The division is always based on the degree of autonomy of the members of the association. Political scientists today cannot give an accurate conclusion on how much the state structure influences the degree and speed of development of society.

In contact with

Federations are countries that are divided into separate administrative-territorial units, each of which has legal and political independence, chooses its own head, but is subordinate to a single center.

Main features of a federal structure

• The territory of the state is divided into separate independent administrative units. They are called differently: states, cantons, republics.
• Supreme power belongs exclusively to the center. The relationship between subordinate territories is established by the constitution.
• The administrative structure is structured in such a way that, despite the fact that there are national bodies of judicial, legislative and executive power, power is structured in exactly the same way in every republic. A state can adopt its own constitution.
• The federal countries of Foreign Europe have a bicameral parliamentary structure. The first chamber represents national interests and the population elects deputies to it from throughout the country. And the second one consists of representatives of the republics. The task of deputies of the lower house is to protect the interests of the territories they represent.

Countries of Foreign Europe with federal administrative-territorial division

In total, there are five countries in Europe with this form of government. Let's look at their list:

• Germany;
• Austria;
• Belgium;
• Switzerland;
• Spain.

German government

Germany is a classic example of a federation. The constituent lands are not just provinces, but separate small states with their own constitution, strictly observing the principles of democracy. In the German states there are elected bodies - Landtags, which represent power.

Fig.1. Administrative divisions of Germany

According to the law, the head of state is the federal president. Its main function is to select and present to parliament the prime minister. He's called Chancellor. It is in the hands of the chancellor that all power in Germany is concentrated. He represents the interests of the country at the international level, controls the lower and upper houses. Thus, although the president is the highest official, the prime minister rules the country. For 12 years now, the position of Federal Chancellor of Germany has been held by a woman – Angela Merkel.

Austrian government

Austria is a democratic federal republic. This means that the main power lies with the people of Austria, who choose the president and parliament. Geographically, Austria is divided into 9 districts. It became a federation in 1955, although the constitution was adopted much earlier in 1920 and since then there have been no significant changes to it. The head is the president.

State structure of Belgium

Belgium may be a federal republic, but its system is very interesting. It is a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. This means that, along with the elected bodies (parliament), the country is governed by the heir to the dynasty. A monarch is a ruler whose power is very limited. The country is divided into 10 provinces.

Fig.2. Administrative divisions of Belgium

The people love their monarch very much and call him “King of the Belgians.” Since 2013, the throne has been occupied by Philip Leopold Louis Maria. Its main powers include the appointment of the prime minister (the de facto head of state) and the appointment of 14 ministers. Seven of them must be fluent in French, the rest in Dutch.

Government of Switzerland

Switzerland is a very small but very strong country. Its territory has been inviolable since the end of the 17th century. In addition, this is the only state in Europe that was not touched during the First and Second World Wars. Now in Switzerland there are 20 cantons - that’s what administrative units are called. All issues related to the improvement and life of people are resolved locally. Federal authorities are responsible for problems on a global scale: war and peace, the country's financial budget, transport links.

Fig.3. Switzerland political map

Government of Spain

Spain has a unique history. After the death of dictator Franco in 1975, power returned to the hereditary monarch, who declared the beginning of a democratic foundation. The form of government remained: constitutional monarchy. Most powers are concentrated in the hands of parliament, but the king remains the head of state and represents Spain at the international level.

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What have we learned?

The countries of Foreign Europe with a federal structure are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain. Belgium and Spain have their own monarch, who decides on the appointment of the head of government. In Germany, all power is concentrated in the hands of the Federal Chancellor. Austria and Switzerland are governed by a president.

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