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Difficulty: MediumUnitary System of Government

A fundamental operational distinction between a unitary system and a federal system concerns how sub-national authority is created and altered. Which of the following statements correctly describes the legal status of powers exercised by regional administrative authorities in a unitary state?

  1. They are delegated by the central government and can be unilaterally altered or rescinded by the central legislature.Answer
  2. B
    They are constitutionally guaranteed and require joint constitutional amendment by both central and regional legislatures to alter.
  3. C
    They represent sovereign authority retained by component units while the central government exercises only delegated duties.
  4. D
    They derive directly from political sovereignty, making regional statutory decisions legally superior to parliamentary acts.

Answer

The powers exercised by regional administrative authorities in a unitary state are delegated by the central government and can be unilaterally altered or rescinded by the central legislature.
In a unitary system of government, legal sovereignty is concentrated in the central government. Regional or local administrative authorities do not enjoy constitutional autonomy; instead, they operate on devolved powers granted by the central legislature. The central government retains undivided supreme authority and can expand, restrict, or completely revoke these delegated powers at any time through ordinary legislation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core constitutional arrangement of a unitary state.
Legal sovereignty and ultimate law-making authority are vested in a single central government.
Unlike federalism, there is no coordinate constitutional division of power between national and sub-national tiers.
2
Analyze how sub-national units receive authority in a unitary system.
Sub-national bodies operate via statutory devolution, exercising powers delegated from the center.
The central parliament grants these powers through ordinary legislation.
3
Determine the legal status and revocability of these delegated powers.
The central legislature retains supreme legal authority to modify, override, or withdraw delegated powers at will.
Because the powers are statutory rather than constitutionally entrenched, revocation does not require constitutional amendments or regional consent.

Key Concept

Delegated Authority and Central Supremacy in a Unitary System
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Unitary System of Government

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