Countries exist in a variety of sizes and shapes. They are made up of a diverse group of people from various backgrounds. How do we ensure that all of these various populations are adequately represented in politics? A political structure known as federalism is one solution. Federalism is a mixed or compound form of government that combines a central or "federal" government with regional governments (provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single political system, with powers divided between them. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Europe. Federalism was first practised in the modern age in the Old Swiss Confederacy's state unions. Federalism is distinct from confederalism, in which the national government is subservient to the regional government, and devolution within a unitary state, in which the regional government is subordinate to the national government. It is the key form in the pathway of regional integration or separation, which is restricted on one side by confederalism and on the other by devolution within a unitary state.

Payal Jain

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