Federalism and centralism are two political doctrines for state organization, that is, two distinct conceptions of how to structure a nation. Their fundamental difference is that federalism proposes the construction of a political unit (a government, for example) from the integration of smaller units that retain a certain degree of autonomy ; while centralism proposes the monolithic union of these units under the command of a single core of authority, from which power is exercised unidirectionally.
The struggle between supporters of federalism and centralism in the 19th century was particularly intense in Latin America, so much so that in many cases it led to civil wars, as the newly emancipated Spanish-American republics now had to choose a method for constructing themselves, once they had gained independence from Spain. Some countries chose a strong central government, while others preferred to unite less rigidly, under some federal system.
Differences between federalism and centralism
| Centralism | Federalism |
| There is a single, central, nuclear government that remotely administers the entire country, with local representation in the form of governorships, municipalities, mayoralties, etc. | There is a federal government, with overall authority over the territory, in which the various states that make up the country are represented. At the same time, each of them has a local government, more or less autonomous and with its own laws. |
| A single, politically homogeneous nation with global authority is being built. | A federation is established: a strategic union of local states or provinces that sacrifice certain aspects of their sovereignty in favor of territorial and political unity. In certain specific cases, a confederation may exist instead of a federation: a federal system in which local states have even greater autonomy. |
| The laws of the central government are unique for the entire territory and are the result of the national parliament. | There are two types of laws: federal laws, which govern the entire territory, and provincial or local laws, which are specific to each federated state. The former are the work of the national parliament, and the latter are the work of the parliament of each province. |
| The unity of the national territory is inviolable and there is no contemplated form of regional independence. | The unity of the national territory is governed by federal authority, but under certain specific conditions, provincial independence may occur. |
| It can be of two types:
· Pure , when it does not allow any margin of decentralization. · Decentralized , when the central government delegates some administrative powers to its local representatives, without losing its central authority. |
It can be of two types:
· Symmetrical , when there is equality of powers between all the federated states. · Asymmetric , when some of the federated states have greater jurisdiction or a greater range of authority than others. |
| Examples of centralized states are: Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Uruguay, France, Guatemala, Finland and Hungary. | Examples of federal or federative states are: Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium. |
Advantages and disadvantages of centralism
| Advantages of centralism | Disadvantages of centralism |
| The central government is strong; it makes all the decisions without the need to engage in debate with local authorities. | The central government is disconnected and generally based in state capitals, far from the reality of many populations . |
| There is a single authority that keeps the territory as unified and administratively homogeneous as possible. | Many bureaucratic processes are delayed or become cumbersome while waiting for a response from the central government. |
| The national budget is entirely in the hands of a single entity, making its subsequent distribution simpler and more direct. | The provinces or governorates that contribute the most to the national GDP may not receive the same amount as they produce for the national government, which often causes discontent. |
Advantages and disadvantages of federalism
| Advantages of federalism | Disadvantages of federalism |
| There is greater local autonomy in administrative management, which makes it easier to recognize and address local needs. | It’s more difficult to approve federal (national) measures, as they must be consulted and approved by the federal states. Furthermore, their implementation can be uneven across the country. |
| It is possible for provinces or federated states to work together despite having different cultural, social, and civic foundations. | Central authority is weakened relative to provincial authority, which increases the risk of independence movements on the part of the federated states. |
| There is a greater degree of oversight over national decisions than in the centralized model, and greater participation by provincial citizens in them. | The autonomy of provincial governments makes it more difficult for the central government to intervene in their policies, if necessary. |
