Citizenship Grade 10 Unit 5: Federalism in Ethiopia

Federalism vs Federation

• Federalism is a principle or system of government where power is divided between a central authority and regional or local governments.
• Federation is a specific form of government that is based on the principle of federalism, with a central government and a number of regional governments or states.

Types of Federalism

• In federalism, laws made by states (regions) usually apply to the respective regions, whereas laws by federal legislatures apply to all states.
• In con-federal arrangements, the central government has no direct authority over citizens' life.
• In federations, the federal government has direct authority over citizens by legislating rules and laws.

Dual Federalism

• Dual federalism primarily concerns the balance of power between the two governing bodies, clearly dividing government authority between state and national governments.
• Also known as Layer Cake Federalism, where state governments have their own powers, and the central government could not intervene.
• Advantages of dual federalism include:
  • Protection of local jurisdictions from federal government overreach.
  • Prevention of the federal government having too much power.
  • Allowing local laws to develop and reflect the requirements and wants of local constituents.
• Disadvantages of dual federalism include:
  • Ensuring tension between state and federal government always stays at the brim.
  • Leading to decreased levels of cooperation between the federal and state governments.
  • Reducing efficiency of programs that require full cooperation from both governing bodies.

Cooperative Federalism

• Cooperative federalism requires state and national governments to share power and collaborate on overlapping functions.
• Also known as marble-cake federalism, where federal, state, and local governments intersect and work together.
• Examples include the federal government giving tax revenue to the states to fund interstate highways, and states governing the construction and maintenance process in accordance with goals set by the national government.

Federalism in Ethiopia

• Federalism is a system of government where power is divided between federal and regional governments.
• Devolution, the principle of federalism, means to transfer power of the region that constitutes the federation.
• The devolution of power makes neither the federal nor the regional governments supreme, instead, power is coordinated between the center and the region to avoid a monopoly of power.