Definition of federalism Federalism

/fɛˈdɚʌlɪˌzʌm/ - [federulizum] - Fed•er•al•ism

We found 6 definitions of federalism from 6 different sources.

What does federalism mean?

Plural: federalisms

federalism - the idea of a federal organization of more or less self-governing units

political orientation, political theory, ideology an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

federalism
A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and local governments (e.g. states and provinces).

Federalism is a political philosophy in which a group of people are bound together, with a governing head. In federalism, the authority is divided between the head (for example the central government of a country) and the political units governed by it (for example the states or provinces of the country).

Currently, several countries in the world have a federal government; examples are United States of America, Canada, Switzerland and Austria. The European Union can be called a sort of federal government as well.

In other words Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.