1. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
CHAPTER 11 SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

2. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Multilevel governance.
Unitary systems.
Federal systems.
Comparing unitary and federal systems.
Local government.
Sub-national government in authoritarian states.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

3. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
1: MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE
Multi-level governance: Administrative system in which power is distributed and shared horizontally and vertically among different levels of government, from the supranational to the local, with considerable interaction among the parts.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

4. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
2: UNITARY SYSTEMS
Unitary system: One in which sovereignty rests with the national government, and regional or local units have no independent powers.
Regional government: Middle-level government in unitary states that takes place below the national level and above the local and county levels.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

5. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
2: UNITARY SYSTEMS
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

6. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
3: FEDERAL SYSTEMS
Federal system: One in which sovereignty is shared between two or more levels of government, each with independent powers and responsibilities.
Federation: A political system that puts federalism into practice.
Asymmetric federalism: The phenomenon of states within a federation having unequal levels of power and influence due to size, wealth, and other factors.
Dual federalism: National and local levels of government function independently from one another, with separate responsibilities.
Cooperative federalism: The layers are intermingled and it is difficult always to see who has ultimate responsibility.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

7. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
3: FEDERAL SYSTEMS
Subsidiarity: The principle that no task should be performed by a larger and more complex organization if it can be executed as well by a smaller, simpler body.
Quasi-federation: System of administration that is formally unitary but has some of the features of a federation.
Confederation: Looser form of a federation, consisting of a union of states with more powers left in the hands of the constituent members.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

8. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
4: COMPARING UNITARY AND FEDERAL SYSTEMS
Unitary government provides enough government for smaller societies, encourages a sense of national unity where citizens feel that they are involved in key public issues, and ensures common standards and regulations.
Federalism offers practical arrangement for organizing large or divided states, providing checks and balances on a territorial basis, keeping some government functions closer to the people, and allowing for representation of cultural, economic, and ethnic differences. It also reduces overload in the national executive, while the existence of multiple states or provinces produces healthy competition and opportunities for experiment.
But decision-making in a federation can be complicated, slow-moving, and hesitant, and federalism can place the political interests of rival governments above the resolution of shared problems.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

9. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
5: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

10. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
6: SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN AUTHORITARIAN STATES
Warlords: Informal leaders who use military force and patronage to control territory within weak states with unstable central governments.
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick

11. Comparative Government and Politics by Hague, Harrop and McCormick
SUB-NATIONAL GOVT
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
In what circumstances is a unitary system a more appropriate form of government, and in what circumstances is a federal system more appropriate?
Why is there is no exact template for a unitary or a federal system, and does it matter?
Should local governments replicate national governments and be headed by elected legislatures and executive mayors?
How many global cities does your country have? If it has none, does this matter to national or local politics?
Why is local government studied so much less than national government?
Is sub-national government and politics more important in authoritarian states than in democracies?
Comparative Government and Politics
by Hague, Harrop and McCormick