Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyConfederal System of Government

Which of the following features best distinguishes a confederal system of government from a federal system?

  1. The component states retain ultimate sovereignty and hold the right to secede from the unionAnswer
  2. B
    The central authority holds supreme political sovereignty over all regional governments
  3. C
    Power is constitutionally divided into exclusive and concurrent lists shared equally between tiers
  4. D
    The electorate directly exercises legal sovereignty over central legislative decisions

Answer

The component states retain ultimate sovereignty and hold the right to secede from the union.
In a confederal system of government, sovereign states come together voluntarily to form a weak central union for specific shared purposes such as defense or foreign affairs. The component states maintain their individual legal sovereignty and retain the constitutional privilege to secede from the confederation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core structural trait of a confederal system
Recognize that confederation is a voluntary association of autonomous sovereign entities.
Unlike federations, central bodies in confederations derive limited delegated power from sovereign member states.
2
Compare sovereignty allocation between federal and confederal governance
Confirm that retention of state sovereignty and right of withdrawal/secession strictly sets confederations apart.
Federations create a binding union where legal sovereignty is shared and secession is constitutionally prohibited.

Key Concept

Sovereignty and Secession in a Confederal System
Rate this question

Topics

Confederal System of Government

More questions from this topic