Federalism vs. Centralism

Federalism and centralism are two approaches to organizing government authority. Federalism distributes power between a central government and smaller political units (like states or provinces), allowing each level to make some decisions independently. This promotes regional flexibility and local representation. Centralism, on the other hand, concentrates most or all decision-making authority in a central government, leading to uniform policies across the entire country. The choice between the two affects governance, with federal systems emphasizing local autonomy and centralist systems prioritizing national unity and consistency.