Confederation versus Unitarism

Confederation and unitarism describe different ways a country’s government is organized. In a confederation, individual states or regions retain significant independence and sovereignty, cooperating voluntarily under a weaker central authority. Examples include historical alliances or EU member states. In contrast, unitarism emphasizes a centralized government with authority stemming from a national government that unilaterally governs the entire country, with regional authorities granted power by the central government. Most countries, like France or Japan, are unitary, whereas confederations are rare and often temporary. The key difference lies in the balance of power: confederations favor regional independence, unitarism emphasizes strong national control.