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| This article is about federal states.For alternative meanings, see Federation (disambiguation).The form of government or constitutional structure found in a federation is known as federalism (see also federalism as a political philosophy).France is by contrast fully unitary, though its subnational entities appear similar to states of a federation government.Federations are often founded on an original agreement between a number of sovereign states.Federations and other forms of state
1.De facto federations
1.Federalism as a political philosophy
4 Internal controversy and conflict
5 List of federations
5.Russian Federation, showing constituent oblasts, or states.In a federation the component states are regarded as in some sense sovereign, insofar as certain powers are reserved to them that may not be exercised by the central government.However, a federation is more than a mere loose alliance of independent states.The component states of a federation usually possess no powers in relation to foreign policy and so they enjoy no independent status under international law.Exceptions may occur in which certain parts of the federation are under more direct control of the federal government, as is the case with the autonomous 'territories' of Canada and Australia, with Union Territories in India and with the United States District of Columbia, as well as with the Federal District of Mexico.In this latter case, the federal government has special constitutional faculties in regards to the appointment and destitution of the local government.Some federations are called asymmetric because some states have more autonomy than others, although they have the same constitutional status.The purpose can be the will to solve mutual problems or to provide for mutual defence, or to create a nation state for an ethnicity spread over several states.The former was the case with the United States and Switzerland, the latter with Germany.In other cases, like Brazil, the federation comes after a unitary state, as a new model in order to decentralize powers and functions, dividing the territory based in ethnical and cultural diversity.In a federation, on the other hand, sovereignty is often regarded as residing notionally in the component states, or as being shared between these states and the central government.De facto federations
The distinction between a federation and a unitary state is often quite ambiguous.For these reasons, it is sometimes argued that some modern unitary states are de facto federations.In the People's Republic of China, a form of de facto federation has evolved without formal legislation.This has resulted in a system some have termed "de facto federalism with Chinese characteristics" (in reference to Deng Xiaoping's policy of socialism with Chinese characteristics).The Swiss Confederation and its 26 cantons.Confederation
While distinct from a unitary state, a federation is also to be distinguished from a confederation.By connotation, a confederation is similar in structure to a federation but with a weaker central government.Over time these terms acquired distinct connotations leading to the present difference in definition.An example of this is the United States under the Articles of Confederation.The term empire, except where used metaphorically, is usually reserved for an entity headed by an emperor, although his or her constitutional role may be purely ceremonial.One example of this was Imperial Germany.Remnants of colonial empires
Colonialism has left behind still other forms of federations.For instance, by charter the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a federation of three countries ("landen"): the Netherlands (in Europe), the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba.Each country has its own constitution.The Dutch government in The Hague remains responsible for defense and foreign affairs of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.The proposed Constitutional Treaty would codify the Member States' right to leave the Union, but would at the same time also provide the European Union with more powers in some areas.Whether or not this would move the European Union closer to a federal state than an international organisation is currently the subject of heated political debate.Russian Federation
An interesting example is provided by the Russian Federation.It has inherited its structure from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic that was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union and itself was considered a federation.Some regions have concluded agreements with the Federation so as to modify the degree of their autonomy.Since 2004, governors of each region, who were previously elected by popular vote, have been appointed by local parliaments upon the proposals by the President of Russia.This lets some argue that the Russian Federation is not a federation in the strictest sense.Soviet Union (USSR) theoretically provided for a voluntary federation or confederation of soviet socialist republics.Myanmar
Myanmar (formerly Burma) is claimed to have adopted federation status (the country's official name is "Union of Myanmar").However, after General Ne Win seized power Burma in 1962 and abolished the Constitution of the Union of Burma, the country adopted a unitary system under his military dictatorship.Division of powers
In a federation, the division of power between federal and regional governments is usually outlined in the constitution.In almost all federations the central government enjoys the powers of foreign policy and national defense.Were this not the case a federation would not be a single sovereign state, per the UN definition.The United States Constitution provides that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government are retained by the states.The Constitution of Canada, on the other hand, states that powers not explicitly granted to the provincial governments are retained by the federal governemnt.In Canada, the provincial governments derive all their powers directly from the constitution.In contrast, the territories are subordinate to the federal government and are delegated powers by it.Where every component state of a federation possesses the same powers, we are said to find 'symmetric federalism'.It is common that during the historical evolution of a federation there is a gradual movement of power from the component states to the centre, as the federal government acquires additional powers, sometimes to deal with unforeseen circumstances.The acquisition of new powers by a federal government may occur through formal constitutional amendment or simply through a broadening of the interpretation of a government's existing constitutional powers given by the courts.Usually, a federation is formed at two levels: the central government and the regions (states, provinces, territories), and little to nothing is said about second or third level administrative political entities.Brazil is an exception, because the 1988 Constitution included the municipalities as autonomous political entities making the federation tripartite, encompassing the Union, the States, and the municipalities.Federal and State Government.Moreover, the federal constitution determines which powers and competencies belong exlusively to the municipalities and not to the constituent states.However, municipalities do not have an elected legislative assembly.Federations often employ the paradox of being a union of states, while still being states (or having aspects of statehood) in themselves.US Constitution "is in strictness neither a national nor a federal constitution; but a composition of both.This paradox stems from the fact that states in a federation maintain all sovereignty that they do not yield to the federation by their own consent.Example: see the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution or Article 3 of the Constitution of the Swiss Confederation.One method, known as 'intrastate federalism', is to directly represent the governments of component states in federal political institutions.Where a federation has a bicameral legislature the upper house is often used to represent the component states while the lower house represents the people of the nation as a whole.United States and Australia, where each state is represented by an equal number of senators irrespective of the size of its population.Alternatively, or in addition to this practice, the members of an upper house may be indirectly elected by the government or legislature of the component states, as occurred in the United States prior to 1913, or be actual members or delegates of the state governments, as, for example, is the case in the German Bundesrat.First Ministers conference of the prime minister and the provincial premiers is the de facto highest political forum in the land, although it is not mentioned in the constitution.Federations often have special procedures for amendment of the federal constitution.In referendums to amend the constitutions of Australia and Switzerland it is required that a proposal be endorsed not just by an overall majority of the electorate in the nation as a whole, but also by separate majorities in each of a majority of the states or cantons.Some federal constitutions also provide that certain constitutional amendments cannot occur without the unanimous consent of all states or of a particular state.In Australia, if a proposed amendment will specifically impact one or more states, then it must be endorsed in the referendum held in each of those states.The German Basic Law provides that no amendment is admissible at all that would completely abolish the federal system.Executive federalism (also known as 'administrative federalism').Movements associated with the establishment or development of federations can be either centralising or decentralising.Germany, federal movements have sought decentralisation: the transfer of power from central authorities to local units.In Canada, where Quebec separatism has been a political force for several decades, the 'federalist' force is dedicated to keeping the federation intact and adapting the federal structure to better suit Quebec interests.Certain forms of political and constitutional dispute are common to federations.The relationship between federal and local courts varies from nation to nation and can be a controversial and complex issue in itself.Another common issue in federal systems is the conflict between regional and national interests, or between the interests and aspirations of different ethnic groups.In some federations the entire jurisdiction is relatively homogeneous and each constituent state resembles a miniature version of the whole; this is known as 'congruent federalism'.The inability to meet this challenge may lead to the secession of parts of a federation or to civil war, as occurred in United States and Switzerland.In case of Malaysia, Singapore was expelled from the federation because of rising racial tension.In some cases internal conflict may lead a federation to collapse entirely, as occurred in Nigeria, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the United Provinces of Central America and the West Indies Federation.Therefore, diverse lists of these entities are possible.It includes both states widely recognized (de jure) to be sovereign and entities that claim sovereignty while exercising de facto control over (part of) their claimed territory.Related lists are the lists of federations, unrecognized countries, autonomous areas, dependent territories, and territorial disputes.Federation: Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis.Some of the proclaimed Arab federations were confederations de facto.Whether or not the Russian Federation is a genuine federation is a matter of dispute.See: Russian Federation section.The USSR was a federation according to the letter of its constitution, but, at least until its final years in the late eighties and early nineties, its governance was highly centralised in practice.See: Soviet Union section.The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was officially proclaimed in 1963.See: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.The Imperial Federation was a proposal that never came into being.The idea, however, was ahead of its time and the Imperial Federation gave way to the Commonwealth of Nations.United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales).The government of Somalia led by Ali Muhammad Ghedi in Baidoa (along with the Transitional Federal Parliament) is a federation in name only; it does not control the city of Mogadishu or the breakaway republic of Somaliland.The Federation is often used in works of science fiction to describe an interstellar government of planets.The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation.The former colonies became component states of the Commonwealth.Early efforts to bring about federation in the 1850s and 1860s were dogged by the lack of popular support for the movement.Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but decided to opt out.Early constitutional conventions
2.Federal Council
A serious movement for federation of the colonies arose in the late 1880s, at a time when there was increasing nationalism amongst Australians, the great majority of whom were native born.The idea of being "Australian" began to be celebrated in songs and poems.This was fostered by improvements in transport and communications, such as the establishment of a telegraph between the colonies in 1872.The Australian colonies were also influenced by other federations which had emerged around the world, notably the United States, Canada and Switzerland.After it was rejected by the Secretary of the State for the Colonies, the Duke of Buckingham, Parkes brought up the issue again at a conference in 1880, this time as the Premier of New South Wales.At the conference, representatives from Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia considered a number of issues including federation, communication, Chinese immigration, vine diseases and uniform tariff rates.Federation had the potential to ensure that throughout the continent, trade and commerce would be unaffected by protectionism and measurement and transport would be standardised.Samuel Griffith, the Premier of Queensland, drafted a Bill to constitute the Federal Council.The conference successfully petitioned the Imperial Parliament to enact the bill as the Federal Council of Australasia Act 1885.New South Wales and New Zealand did not join.The Federal Council had powers to legislate directly upon certain matters, such as in relation to extradition, regulation of fisheries and so on, but it did not have a permanent secretariat, executive powers or revenue of its own.Furthermore, the absence of the powerful colony of New South Wales weakened its representative value.It provided an opportunity for federalists from around the country to meet and exchange ideas.In terms of the Federal Council of Australia Act, the Australian drafters established a number of powers dealing with their "common interest" which would later be replicated in the Australian Constitution, especially section 51.Opposition
The individual colonies were somewhat wary of federation.New South Wales wanted to be satisfied that the federation's tariff policy would not be protectionist.Victorian Premier James Service described fiscal union as "the lion in the way" of federation.Furthermore, there was debate about the form of government that a federation would take.Experience of other federations was less than inspiring.In particular, the United States had experienced the traumatic American Civil War.The nascent Australian labour movement was mixed in its support for federation.On the one hand, nationalist sentiment was strong within the labour movement and there was much support for the idea of White Australia.On the other hand labour representatives feared that federation would distract attention from the need of social and industrial reform, and further entrench the power of the conservative forces.The federal conventions included no representatives of organised labour.They also regarded the proposed Senate as much too powerful, potentially a reactive chamber that would block attempts at social and political reform, much as the colonial upper houses were at that time.Early constitutional conventions
In the early 1890s two meetings established the need for federation and set the framework for this to occur.An informal meeting attended by official representatives from the Australasian colonies was held in 1890.This led to the first National Australasian Convention, meeting in Sydney in 1891.New Zealand was represented at both the conference and the Convention, although there was no great likelihood that it would want to enter into the proposed federation.The 1890 conference
The 1890 conference was organised at the instigation of Sir Henry Parkes.The account of the calling of the 1890 conference usually begins with Lord Carrington, the Governor of New South Wales, goading the ageing Henry Parkes at a luncheon on 15 June 1889.Parkes the next day wrote to the Victorian Premier, Duncan Gillies offering to advance the cause of federation.Gillies's response was predictably cool given the reluctance of Parkes to bring New South Wales into the Federal Council.On the return journey, he stopped just south of the colonial border and delivered the historic Tenterfield Oration on 24 October 1889, stating that the time had come for the colonies to consider Australian federation.Through the latter part of 1889 the premiers and governors corresponded and agreed for an informal meeting to be called.General) and Bolton Bird (Treasurer); Western Australia, Sir James George Lee Steere (Speaker); New Zealand, Captain William Russell (Colonial Secretary) and Sir John Hall.The Conference debated whether or not the time was ripe to proceed with federation.Thomas Playford from South Australia indicated the tariff question and lack of popular support as hurdles.Similarly, Sir James Lee Steere from Western Australia and the New Zealand delegates suggested there was lukewarm support for federation in their respective colonies.Westminster tradition of government.The British North America Act 1867, which had confederated the Canadian provinces, provided a model with respect to the relations between the federation and the Crown.It also provided that the Senate should consist of an equal number of members from each State while the Lower House should reflect the national distribution.American federal institutions, introduced the United States Constitution as an example of the protection of States' rights.He presented it as an alternative to the Canadian model, arguing that Canada was "an instance of amalgamation rather than federation."The Melbourne conference ended with an agreement by the delegates that the time for federation had arrived.The 1891 convention
The.Parliament proposed at the 1891 Convention was to adopt the nomenclature of the United States Congress.This proposal provided the broad outline of federal government.The document enumerated a substantial list of powers which would be given to the federal government, some derived from the British North America Act 1867, some from the US Constitution, some from the powers of the Federal Council of Australasia, among others.The draft constitution was submitted to colonial parliaments but lapsed in New South Wales, after which the other colonies were unwilling to proceed.Later constitutional conventions
The revival of the federal movement stemmed from the growth of federal leagues and nationalist organisations that were committed to federation, like the Australian Natives Association.People's Conventions held in Corowa and Bathurst.In 1895 a proposal was accepted by the premiers of the Australian colonies to establish a new Convention by popular vote, with the resulting draft of the constitution being submitted to the electors of each colony in a referendum.Referendums were held in four colonies in June 1898.The Bill as accepted by the colonies went to Britain for ratification by the British Parliament.The Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne.On 1 January 1901 the Proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia was held in Centennial Park, Sydney.Sir Edmund Barton was sworn in as the interim Prime Minister, leading an interim Federal ministry of nine members.The new constitution established a bicameral Parliament, containing a Senate and a House of Representatives.General was established as the Queen's representative; initially, this person was considered a representative of the British government.Today Federation is still an important event in Australian History, and is taught in both Primary and Secondary schools throughout the country.Landmarks named for Federation
The significance of Federation for Australia is such that a number of landmarks, natural and man made have been named for it.Williams J, "'With Eyes Open': Andrew Inglis Clark and our Republican Tradition" (1995) 23(2) Federal Law Review 149 at 165.Debates of the Australian Federation Conference, at 25.Further reading
Hunt, Lyall (editor) (2000)Towards Federation: Why Western Australia joined the Australian Federation in 1901 Nedlands, W.All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.President Dominque Gregoire (see photo) and to Magali Boutiot of the AF de Providence (RI) by Federation Treasurer David Thoms at the Annual Convention.French Chorale development membership and visibility.Click here for more information about applying for this grant.One Federation Committee selection for 2007.Please send us your information regarding changes in leadership, meetings and any other interesting information so we can post it.Federation Business Cards
The Federation now offers business cards.The Federation is expanding its member web services to include not only free hosting of chapter sites, but also the development of a new template which can be customized for each AF.Welcome to the Federation!Tous mes meilleurs voeux a tous.My best wishes reach out to the great wide world of francophonie which remains a uniting force when so much of the world is in turmoil.As you make your New Year resolutions and we all know that some will fail, I encourage you to tell the Federation your needs for without information it is difficult for us to act.The Federation's Morse Visibility Grant deadline is coming up on February 1, 2008.See more details on the Morse Visiblity Grant webpage, including a link to the Application Form.The Federation's Prize Book Fund award deadline is also February 1, 2008.AF de Lake Champlain have been made.These grants are made once yearly and there is more information on the grants, previous winners and the Grant Application Form on the website at School Development Grant.French art to be done in partnership with the Cinncinnati Art Museum.Milwaukee WI for a speaker on Green Urbanism to focus particularly on efforts in Paris to create green space in dense neighborhoods as well as efforts to reuse abandoned industrial land and to apply these examples to their city.See the details and a list of the previous winners on the Cultural Grants page of the website.Wurzburger Achievement Award
Dear Colleagues and Friends:
The Federation of Alliances Francaises U."The Federation") is pleased to announce this important initiative made possible by a generous bequest to the Federation from the Paul B.Odette Wurzburger Special Achievement Award was created in 2007 specifically to acknowledge, recognize and broadcast a significant achievement by an individual Member Chapter in a distinguished cultural or teaching program, ("the Program").Grant monies will be awarded to a Federation Member Chapter which has demonstrated its dedication to the furtherance of the goals and mission of the Federation, namely the promotion of the language and culture of French speaking peoples and a wider awareness of the programs and grant initiatives offered to the network of Member Chapters.Again, thanks to all of you for your support!AFs) in the United States and Puerto Rico.The Federation also promotes regional meetings and publishes both a magazine and a newsletter.One Federation" selection, as well as other benefits described on this web site.ABC to mark the 2001 Centenary of Australian Federation.Programs And Events
Investigate the highlights and ABC programs that marked the Centenary year.The Federation Story
The transition from colonies to Commonwealth and major issues that shaped the nation are explored in the Federation Story.Federation 2001 Features
Find out more about ABC Centenary programs and content featured in 2001.Test your Australian Federation knowledge at FederActive.Tackle the crossword, ponder a ten question PM Poll or piece together an Arch.Federation Program Guide
ABC programs with a Centenary of Federation focus are listed by date and network in the Program Guide.JavaScript based drop down DHTML menu generated by NavStudio.Become a Leader and Donate Monthly.See the winners of the 2007 National Wildlife Photo Contest.How can I make a difference today?Renew your NWF membership.Fleece pants featuring the logo on left thigh, a tie string waist, hemmed ankle, and differential front and back rise for feminine styling.XL in grey, navy or light blue.Symposium DVD with Ingrid Klimke featuring everything you need to know about working your horse with cavaletti to improve his performance in the dressage ring.RSS News Courtesy of Equisearch.Click to read the latest news.Saturday and over 2000 events held annually.Fed Square Streaming', 'index.Item('Victorian Wine Regions Showcase Series', 'index.Item('Guided Tours of Fed Square', 'index.Item('National Design Centre', 'index.Item('Zinc at Federation Square', 'index.Item('Fed Square Pty Ltd Company Information', 'index.Item('Map of Fed Square', 'index.Item('Melbourne Mobility Centre', 'index.Item('Guided Tours of Federation Square', 'index.Item('River Cruises ', 'index.Item('Request An Image', 'index.Item('Fed Square Customer Service Program ', 'index.Item('Fed Square Screens Program Guide', 'index.Federation's solutions enable customers to raise productivity and reduce risk without compromising intellectual property.EST
just some videos to check until the next roundfederation dub sessions vol 4.EST
about FederationFEDERATION, based out of New York and Philly has long been known for bringing a unique sound and crazy creativity to everything they do.Not only have they been pioneers of the mix cd scene, but FEDERATION was also responsible for some of the biggest remixes of the last couple of years...Representing Philly, Kenny Meez wave's the flag for FEDERATION at his numerous weekly parties and bring pure vibes to the city of brotherly love.Max Glazer represents New York for the crew while traveling world wide bringing the Federation Sound to new audiences almost daily.From Philly to New York to London to Japan to Germany to Barbados to Jamaica, FEDERATION has been there, spreading the vibes...EST
Federation meets Solomonic inna dubplate style
more info and audio at solomonicsound.EST
Federation site launchmore coming soon! |
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