One-Word Answer Type Questions – What is Federalism?
1. What system of government divides power between national and regional authorities?
Answer: Federalism
Explanation: Federalism is a governance system where power is constitutionally divided between a central authority and various state or regional governments to ensure decentralization.
2. What is the term for the distribution of power between different levels of government?
Answer: Division
Explanation: Division of power is a key principle of federalism, ensuring that central and state governments have separate and defined areas of authority.
3. Which country transformed from a unitary system to a federal system to accommodate its diverse population?
Answer: Belgium
Explanation: Belgium amended its constitution to shift from a unitary to a federal structure, ensuring power-sharing among Dutch, French, and German-speaking communities.
4. What type of government exists when the central government holds all the power?
Answer: Unitary
Explanation: In a unitary system, power is concentrated at the central level, and regional authorities operate under the directives of the central government.
5. What principle of democracy is upheld by federalism through power-sharing?
Answer: Decentralization
Explanation: Decentralization ensures that power is distributed among multiple levels of government, preventing the concentration of authority in a single governing body.
6. Which level of government in a federal system manages local governance like municipalities and panchayats?
Answer: Local
Explanation: In federalism, the local government administers community-level affairs, such as city planning, sanitation, and public services, under state jurisdiction.
7. Which document defines the power-sharing structure in a federal system?
Answer: Constitution
Explanation: The Constitution lays down the framework for federal governance, ensuring that powers are legally distributed between national and state authorities.
8. Which list in the Indian Constitution includes subjects where both central and state governments can make laws?
Answer: Concurrent
Explanation: The Concurrent List in the Indian Constitution contains subjects like education and trade, allowing both central and state governments to legislate on them.
9. Which type of federalism is formed when a large country decides to divide its power among states?
Answer: Holding-together
Explanation: Holding-together federations, like India and Spain, are formed when a country distributes power to its regions to maintain unity while ensuring autonomy.
10. Which system ensures that different levels of government have their own independent areas of governance?
Answer: Autonomy
Explanation: Autonomy in federalism means that each level of government, including central, state, and local, has defined and independent decision-making powers.
