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Difficulty: MediumUnitary System of Government

Although modern unitary states like the United Kingdom have established regional assemblies with broad operational functions, what fundamental constitutional principle governs the relationship between the central parliament and these sub-national bodies?

  1. The central parliament retains undivided legal authority and can alter or retract regional powers through ordinary law.Answer
  2. B
    Regional bodies exercise coordinate constitutional power that cannot be modified without the explicit consent of regional voters.
  3. C
    Sub-national units hold ultimate legal sovereignty while delegating specific national security functions to the central government.
  4. D
    Legal sovereignty is shared equally between the electorate and regional assemblies to prevent central parliamentary supremacy.

Answer

The central parliament retains undivided legal authority and can alter or retract regional powers through ordinary law.
In a unitary system of government, supreme constitutional authority is concentrated in the central government. Even when regional assemblies exist through devolution, their powers are delegated by statute and remain subordinate to the central parliament, which can expand, restrict, or abolish them through standard legislative processes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core feature of a unitary system of government regarding legal sovereignty.
Recognize that supreme constitutional power resides exclusively in the central organ of government.
In a unitary governance structure, sub-national administrative divisions do not possess constitutionally guaranteed independent sovereignty.
2
Distinguish between constitutional power division and statutory devolution.
Identify that devolved regional powers exist at the discretion of the central parliament.
Because regional powers are created by central statutes rather than an entrenched constitutional formula, the central parliament retains the legal right to amend or repeal them.

Key Concept

Centralized Sovereignty and Devolution in a Unitary State
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Unitary System of Government

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