Which form of government has a division of power?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle the question, we first restate what is being asked and list the options for clarity.
Question: Which form of government has a division of power?
Options: confederation, federation, all of these, unitary government
Now, evaluate each option one by one with reasoning.
Option 1: confederation
In a confederation, the member states retain most of their sovereignty and the central authority is typically weak or limited in scope. While there can be some shared functions, the key characteristic is that power is not effectively divided between a strong central government and regional units; rather, authority rests primarily with the member states. Therefore, this option does not embody a robust, constitutional division of power in the way a federation does.
Option 2: federation
A federation or federal system is explicitly designed around a constitutional division of powers between a central government and regional governments (states, provinces, etc.). This division is codified, with certain competencies assigned to the national level and others reserved to subnational units, creating a clear balance of power. This is precisely what is meant by a division of power in government.
Option 3: all of these
If both confederation and federation clearly exhibit a division of power, one might be tempted to select this. However, in a unitary government, power is centralized in the national government, and regional or local authorities generally derive their authority from the central power and can be reshaped or eliminated by it. Since a unitary system does not entail a persistent division of power, this option is inaccurate.
Option 4: unitary government
In a unitary system, sovereignty is concentrated in the central government, and any subnational bodies operate under powers delegated by the center. There is typically no enduring constitutional division of sovereignty between levels of government, so this option fails to describe a division of power in the sense used by the question.
Putting these reflections together, the option that genuinely embodies a formal division of powers between at least two levels of government is the federation, while the other options either centralize power or do not embody a sustained constitutional division. The reasoning above highlights why the federation is the correct choice and why the confederation and unitary options do not fit as the standard examples of a divided-powers framework. The tricky part is recognizing that confederations do involve multiple levels, but the hallmark division of powers in the constitution is most clearly represented by federations, whereas unitary systems concentrate power centrally.

POLS-206:502,508 Exam 1 Fall 2025

Which form of government has a division of power?

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