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Difficulty: Very hardUnitary System of Government

Match each structural mechanism or constitutional feature of a unitary political system in Column A with its precise legal characteristic or governance implication in Column B.

  • Statutory DevolutionTransfers political decision-making powers to sub-national assemblies via ordinary central legislation that can be unilaterally amended or revoked
  • Parliamentary SupremacyConcentrates supreme legal sovereignty in the national legislature, preventing sub-national units from claiming coordinate constitutional authority
  • Administrative DeconcentrationDelegates policy implementation to regional field officers while central headquarters maintains sole authority over policy formulation
  • Constitutional UnitarismAllows the central state to unilaterally reorganize sub-national administrative boundaries and legal competencies without local constitutional consent

Answer

Statutory Devolution matches with transferring political powers to sub-national assemblies via revocable central legislation; Parliamentary Supremacy matches with concentrating supreme legal sovereignty in the national legislature; Administrative Deconcentration matches with delegating policy implementation to regional field officers while policy formulation stays central; Constitutional Unitarism matches with allowing central authorities to unilaterally reorganize sub-national boundaries without local consent.
The correct pairings accurately define the constitutional operation of a unitary government: Statutory Devolution represents revocable legislative delegation; Parliamentary Supremacy anchors absolute central legal authority; Administrative Deconcentration represents localized executive workload distribution; and Constitutional Unitarism permits central modification of territorial structures.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the constitutional basis of Statutory Devolution in unitary governance.
Devolution in a unitary state originates from ordinary statutory law passed by the national legislature, meaning regional authority is delegated rather than constitutionally entrenched.
This distinguishes unitary devolution from federal division of power, as the central government can modify or repeal the delegating act.
2
Examine the doctrine of Parliamentary Supremacy in relation to sovereign authority.
Parliamentary supremacy ensures that no subordinate authority can invalidate central legislative enactments or claim inherent sovereign rights.
Ultimate constitutional power resides strictly in the central legislative body.
3
Differentiate Administrative Deconcentration from political devolution.
Deconcentration shifts administrative workload to regional bureau offices without granting political or legislative autonomy.
It is an administrative convenience for executive execution rather than a transfer of policy-making sovereignty.
4
Evaluate the territorial impact of Constitutional Unitarism.
Because sub-national units do not possess independent constitutional status, the central state can modify regional boundaries and jurisdictions by simple parliamentary action.
Unitary frameworks operate under a single, indivisible sovereign constitutional order.

Key Concept

Legal mechanics and structural decentralization methods in a Unitary System of Government
Estimated Time:2m 30s
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Unitary System of Government

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