"What do we want from federalism?" asked the late Martin Diamond in a famous essay written thirty years ago. The federal system increases the opportunities for average citizens to participate in government. If you go to Colorado, then it is illegal to keep a couch on your porch. Nigeria as a result was divided into three provinces. It also offers opportunity to test the courage of selected leaders and to prove whether they are responsible. The local governments could distribute resources first instead of relying on the national government like the island because of the availability of local resources. This is a lesson from the tutorial, Structure and Systems of Government and you are encouraged to log . Adobe d C Another government might offer a significant tax break to a company that encourages them to place offices in one location and not another. s" Your email address will not be published. Several positive and negative attributes of federalism have manifested themselves in the U.S. political system. Your email address will not be published. *$( %2%(,-/0/#484.7*./. C I enjoin you to read the advantages and disadvantages of a written constitution here! The Nigerian federalism is a creation of the British. A federal system, in which units exist only for political or pacifist reasons, forebodes a great burden for fiscal federalism. The federal government in America has special authority to control interstate businesses and trade with the foreign countries. The availability of resources in a particular region and the need for that area to control the resources has also been seen as a reason for a federal system in Nigeria. That means some people in the U.S. must follow four different sets of laws. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. The Constitution designates certain powers to be the domain of a central government, and others are specifically reserved to the state governments. Importance of Federalism in Nigeria. The two levels always have final authority and self governance in specific areas. Moreover, it is important to note that most of the ethnic groups in Nigeria had strong political inter-group relationship before colonial rule. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Sharing of power between the center and the states can also be disadvantageous. There are also some noteworthy disadvantages, and these will be identified later in this chapter. This has nexus with the particular sharing formula adopted. The Evolution, Development and Practice of Federalism in Nigeria Charas Madu Tella, Ahmed Wali Doho, Aliyu Bapeto Abstract Federalism is a political philosophy in which members of a group are . https://ivypanda.com/essays/federalism-2/, IvyPanda. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ All these strengthen political bonds and gave Rice to unity in diversity. What are strengths and weaknesses of federalism? New York: Harper & Row, 1984. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ or this it really helped me, Your email address will not be published. In light of this, a constitution is said to be federal when its operates two levels of government, that is the federal and state, and each of this level exercise its different powers without interference by the other level. This seemed to be the default option given its heterogeneous nature. Different communities have unique requirements that they must meet to maximize their quality of life. It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. The states too have no resources for development but depended on federal grants. 23 November. house of representatives and the Senate). in or register, These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In the EU, the members of the upper houses in the government are not elected or appointed, but they serve as delegates of their respective governments. The centralization of Nigeria's fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. Rather there has been more challenges than benefits of this federal system. 19 more states were created in 1976 in order to score more political advantage by the Murtala-Obasanjo regime against those that favor General Yakubu Gowon. States shall make agreement on how to deal with common problems that they face. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Over the course of the nation's history it is clear that there are many advantages to federalism. Read Also:Importance of Journalism in Nigeria. In the same way, the political culture of the United States is civic, republican and participatory. Proportional representation (PR) systems are argued to be the political system most advantageous to women's political representation. . The first military head of state was dethroned for adopting unitary system of government yet successive military administration in practice follow unitary principle instead of federal system. In theory, Nigeria is a three-tier federation, with local, state, and federal levels designated by federal law. Cookies are small files that are stored on your browser. But before moving to the crux of this article, we will be looking briefly at the meaning and history of federalism in Nigeria. Politics in America, eighth edition/alternate edition. Federalism encourages a system of cooperation. When a government is closer to its citizens, then it can provide a responsive solution when there are citizen needs, emergency situations, or changes that are necessary in the structure of laws. Federalism therefore involves the linkage of individuals, groups and policies in lasting but limited union in such a way as to provide for the energetic pursuit of common goals while maintaining the respective integrities of all parties. The state and the nation always evade responsibility especially when it comes to dealing with environmental issues such as cleaning up of Great lakes. "Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages." ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Excellent, thanks a lot f This is because most people after they have committed a crime in a particular state, they escape and move to other states. By diffusing power to multiple branches of office, like the U.S. does with the executive, legislative, and judicial segments, it becomes more challenging for one division to take over the country. National government shall issue grants to states to aid in state development. Matters, enumerated in the exclusive list are selected for the federal authority, while matters that fall within the concurrent list are selected for the federal government, and the regions. This is why there is a clamoring for restructuring and true federalism in Nigeria. America also wanted to possess inherent power to enable them conduct foreign affairs which inherently belonged to the nation. 1. IvyPanda. Post-independence creation of states and further division of states created after independence was done as a framework for the development of Nigeria. In some areas where major communal or other social antagonism cuts across territorial boundaries, ranging through all the federating units, communities or classes have been driven to seek to protect or strengthen their position by inter-territorial union. Common national, racial, religious, cultural linguistic or social ties have often contributed to the unification of political unit. They will have to face legal charges for their actions in whichever state they are in. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It is a form of government that has been adopted by many countries around the world, and it has a number of advantages that make it an attractive option for countries seeking to balance the need for national unity with the desire for regional autonomy and diversity. Then there are the inefficient processes that people must follow when managing their activities. READ ALSO: History of democracy in Nigeria from 1960. The federal system of government is very expensive as more people are elected to office, both at the state and the center, than necessary. Also see: Differences between 1960 and 1963 constitution of Nigeria, reasons for federal system of government in nigeria. This structure made slavery and segregation a continuing issue in the United States until the 1960s. The following were the major reasons for the introduction of federalism in Nigeria: Relocate to Canada Today! 2.D - Advantages to Federalism. Moreover, There is no way to obtain runaway power in this structure unless voters approve of that process first. Insecurity and the desire for union are the main reasons for the shift from unitary system of government to federal system of government in 1954. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Federalism provides a structure that diffuses governmental power . 3 Advantages Of Federalism In The Philippines. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB We may share your site usage data with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners for these reasons. There is usually constitutional conflict in a federal system as opposed to a unitary . /Type /XObject The nation also wanted to have the power to address issues such as great depressions that it was facing due to failures in economic, political and social issues. To avert this domination, states unite to form a strong, virile and stable union capable of withstanding external attacks. Another reason why federalism is adopted by any country is that of its population. So, what are the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria? Federalism is a system of government where there are a decentralization power and autonomy of governance to the regional or federated states that share sovereignty with the Federal Government. Required fields are marked *. Federalism encourages innovation in governing. "Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages." This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Federalism is very important to make sure that people from every part of the country have a representative in the decision-making groups (i.e. There is a need to establish institutions for the study offederalism in Nigeria and to reduce ethnic and ideological biases in research on Nigerian federalism. Read Also:Importance of the Nigeria Foreign Policy. No doubt, the Ethnic, Religious and Geographical nature of Nigeria also contributed to the reason why federalism was adopted. There was just the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate. 1. limits the power of federal officials to determine local polices. THE BENEFITS OF FEDERALISM THE DRAWBACKS OF FEDERALISM Summary I love this article,very educating and interesting Geographical factor, (iv) Economic factor Description. 2. Importance of federalism. The government of Murtala Mohammed created additional 7 states in 1976 which made Nigeria to become a federation of 19 states. 4. To carry everyone along, a system of government with more decision-makers is necessary. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. One of the main advantages of federalism is that it allows for a greater degree of regional autonomy and diversity. Many of them are similar, but there are also several which are not. >> Federalism provides a structure that diffuses governmental power. These include: 1. State governments have the freedom to adopt policies which may not be followed nationally or by any other state. It is also promotes regional inequalities. Throughout history, it has been a political system where 2+ governments share authority over the same geographical area. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. sir Arthur Richards strengthened this proposal in 1945 and regionalism was introduced by his administration in 1946. We will write a custom Assessment on Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only $11.00 $9.35/page. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Advantages of Federalism Flexibility In Governing Provides A Balance of Power Allows Citizens Needs to Be Met More Productive Society Produces Conflict Management Disadvantages of Federalism Power Struggles Easier for Inequality to Arise Lack of Cohesion Problems With Accountability Is Federalism Good or Bad? The constitution emphasized areas of authority between the central government and the regions. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Roxy Horner biography: who is Jack Whitehalls girlfriend? Even the masses in the rural areas of the country are allowed to participate in politics by electing their representatives into office. They believe that the federal government should be able to: make policy in its areas of jurisdiction without consulting the provinces; have access to most of the revenue from taxation ; and make conditional grants to provinces even in matters outside its jurisdiction. The Babangida administration followed the same step and created 21 states and more local governments. Your browser seems to have Javascript disabled. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It is difficult to enforce law on criminals because of federalism. The history of Ijaw, Edo, Igala, Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe and Hausa Kingdoms are enriched with social-political relationships that existed before the emergence of the white man. The origin of federalism in Nigeria can be traced to the colonial era. The structure of this government can create inefficiencies in the system because the national government might not like the way the local officials choose to oversee their communities. 6. 3. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The colonial era no doubt, the ethnic groups in Nigeria Its heterogeneous nature will! Federalism is that of Its population *./ * 56789: CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz constitution Nigeria! 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Daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example information on metrics the number visitors. For federal system of government and you are encouraged to log others are specifically to... Opportunities for average citizens to participate in politics by electing their representatives office., Its Advantages and Disadvantages of a written constitution here the states can also be.. States is civic, republican and participatory evade responsibility especially when it comes to dealing with environmental such! C I enjoin you to read the Advantages and Disadvantages. external attacks x27 ; s representation. A framework for the adoption of federalism unity in diversity before colonial rule state development and! More local governments could distribute resources first instead of relying on the national shall... And Geographical nature of Nigeria also contributed to the crux of this article, we will write a custom on! 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