Models of federal power sharing

Concurrent contemporary pressures for both larger and smaller political uni ts have contributed to the appeal of federal political systems as a way of reconciling both these pressures and of accommodating social diversity with in a polity. Among the major federal institutional models that have resulte d have been unions, constitutionally decentralised unions, federations, con federations, federacies, associated states, condominiums, leagues, joint fu nctional authorities, and hybrids. Furthermore, within each of these forms there has been considerable variation. Among federations, the issues in the ir design that have affected their operation have been: the number and char acter of the constituent units, the distribution of legislative and executi ve authority and financial resources, the degree of symmetry or asymmetry i n the powers allocated to constituent units, the form and structure of the common federative institutions, the role of courts as adjudicative bodies, the constitutional recognition of individual and collective minority rights , and the processes for intergovernmental consultation, cooperation, and co ordination. The successes and failures of federations during the past half- century point to four major lessons, which have a bearing on the ability of federations and more broadly federal systems to reconcile and manage socia l diversity.