1. Unitary Government: A central (national) Government controls state (regional) and local governments. Power of state governments comes from the national government. Examples: Great Britain, France Examples in Fiction:

2. Confederation: Independent states join together in a loose alliance. The power of the central (national ) government is limited and extends only to matters like common defense. Examples: The United States under the Articles of Confederation, Switzerland, United Nations, European Union Examples in Fiction:

3. Federalism: The dividing and sharing of power between the national government and the states. Power comes from the people. Examples: The United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Russia Examples in Fiction