Question

Difficulty: MediumFederal System of Government

In a federal system of government, component units retain individual legal sovereignty and possess the constitutional right to unilaterally secede from the union.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False. Component units in a federation do not hold individual legal sovereignty or the right to unilaterally secede; those characteristics define a confederal system.
The statement is false because federalism creates a perpetual legal union wherein ultimate international sovereignty resides with the central federation, and component units lack the constitutional authority to secede unilaterally.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core constitutional claims in the statement
The statement asserts that federating units retain individual legal sovereignty and hold a constitutional right to unilateral secession.
Evaluating sovereignty location and legal right of withdrawal is essential to distinguishing federal systems from confederal political arrangements.
2
Compare federal constitutional principles with confederal structures
A federation establishes an indestructible union under a supreme federal constitution where sovereignty is undivided internationally. Unilateral secession and individual state sovereignty are features of confederalism.
Federal constitutions bind component states permanently under shared sovereign framework, precluding unilateral separation.

Key Concept

Sovereignty and Indivisibility in Federal Systems
Rate this question