Applications of Unitary System of Government

Britain operates a unitary system of government. Under this arrangement, all governmental powers are concentrated at the central level. Any local level of government that exists are created and allocated powers by the central government. This is unlike the United States where the states as federating units derive their powers from the constituents, and are equal, exercising co-ordinate authority with the federal government in those powers allotted to them.

According to Chief Awolowo (1966:34), there are many more countries in the world operating the unitary system of government. One obvious reason for this preference for this form of government is that many states in the world are smaller and less heterogeneous.

Awolowo cited the example of unitary states like Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago which together had a combined population of 28 million, compared with 234 million people in three federal states: U.S.A., Canada and Mexico.

Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE) 3.3

Explain why unitary system of government is more desirable by smaller states and less heterogeneity