Federation is a form of government where ruling powers are divided between the union or central government and the state or provincial governments. The division of powers is effected through the constitution. According to Garner, federal government can be defined as a system of central and local (provincial) governments, combined under common sovereignty, both the central and local governments being supreme within definite spheres, marked out for them by the general constitution or by the act of parliament which creates the system.
Merits of Federation: A federation is opposite to unitary government.
It has the following merits :
Suitable for big states : Big states cannot be ruled from a single center. Hence federal governments are best suited for big states to ensure effective rule.
Division of work : A federation works on the basis of division of work and responsibilities between the union and provincial governments. Hence both governments are able to concentrate on the designated functions.
Truly Democratic : A federal state is truly democratic as it decentralizes political authority, checks arbitrariness of central government and provides more opportunity for political participation and political education.
Society is federal : According to Laski, since society is federal in nature, the federation is the natural form of government.
Demerits of federation : A federal state displays the following demerits :
Division of power is a source of weakness : A federation is based on the principle of division of powers between the central and state governments. This leads to the weakness of both the governments as none of them is in the control of all powers.
Division of responsibility : A federal environment also divides responsibility between the central and state governments. The division of responsibility undermines effective administration and creates problem of coordination.
Conflict between center and states : In federal state the division of power leads to strain between central and state governments. This may result in serious conflicts between the two.
Not suitable for emergencies : A federal system is also not suitable to face emergencies as due to lack of coordination, the decision making is delayed.
