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81-705: The Council of States is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland , and the lower house being the National Council . It comprises 46 members. Twenty of the country's cantons are represented by two Councillors each. Six cantons, traditionally called " half cantons ", are represented by one Councillor each for historical reasons. These are Obwalden , Nidwalden , Basel-Stadt , Basel-Landschaft , Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden . The Councillors serve for four years, and are not bound in their vote to instructions from

162-539: A confederacy and a unitary state . The U.S. Constitution was written as a replacement for the Articles of Confederation , under which the United States was a loose confederation with a weak central government. In contrast, Europe has a greater history of unitary states than North America, thus European "federalism" argues for a weaker central government, relative to a unitary state. The modern American usage of

243-767: A confederation , (see "pathway" graphic re regional integration or regional separation). Federalism may encompass as few as two or three internal divisions, as is the case in Belgium or Bosnia and Herzegovina . In Canada , federalism typically implies opposition to sovereignty movements—most commonly the question of Quebec separatism . In 1999, the Government of Canada established the Forum of Federations as an international network for exchange of best practices among federal and federalizing countries. Headquartered in Ottawa ,

324-824: A Legislative Council prior to joining Canada , as did Ontario when it was Upper Canada and Quebec from 1791 (as Lower Canada ) to 1968. Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a unicameral legislature, having abolished its lower house in 1934, while the Senate of Nebraska , the upper house prior to 1934, continues to assemble. The Australian state of Queensland also once had an appointed Legislative Council before abolishing it in 1922. All other Australian states continue to have bicameral systems, though all members are now directly elected (the two self-governing territories, along with Norfolk Island until 2016, have always been unicameral). Like Queensland,

405-464: A Swiss political information platform, recorded a 2012 vote regarding an import ban on reptile skins, it found that the official vote count differed from what was shown in the video. In what was called "Stöckligate", Politnetz showed that several votes on the matter all resulted in miscounts. (The name Stöckligate refers to a colloquial name for the Council of States. A Stöckli is a second home built on

486-462: A bill so that it does not fit within the legislative schedule, or until a general election produces a new lower house that no longer wishes to proceed with the bill. Nevertheless, some states have long retained powerful upper houses. For example, the consent of the upper house to legislation may be necessary (though, as noted above, this seldom extends to budgetary measures). Constitutional arrangements of states with powerful upper houses usually include

567-550: A condition originally granted in exchange for the Kingdom of Bavaria 's agreement to join the German Empire in 1871. The constitutions of Germany and the United States provide that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government are retained by the states. The Constitution of some countries, like Canada and India , state that powers not explicitly granted to the provincial/state governments are retained by

648-540: A country's national and provincial/state governments. However, the term federalist comprises various political practices that differ in important details among the (so-called) federalist nations—some of which are democratic in name only (e.g., modern Russia )—leaving the terms "federalist", "federalism", "federation", etc., dependent on context. And, because the term federalization also proclaims distinctive political processes, its use also depends on context. Typically, political theory today discusses two main types of

729-654: A farm for the elder farmer after the property has been deeded to the heirs. The name is applied to the chamber as it is viewed as having older members than the National Council.). As a result of the affair, council member This Jenny introduced a bill to require electronic voting. Since 1 March 2014, votes in the Council of States have been conducted electronically, with a tally shown on electronic display boards. The rule changes also allowed for disclosure of how members voted. The recorded votes are made public for votes on overall bills, final votes, and votes that require

810-528: A federation is formed at two levels: the central government and the regions (states, provinces, territories), and little to nothing is said about second or third level administrative political entities. Brazil is an exception, because the 1988 Constitution included the municipalities as autonomous political entities making the federation tripartite, encompassing the Union, the States, and the municipalities. Each state

891-402: A federation, the division of power between federal and regional governments is usually outlined in the constitution . Almost every country allows some degree of regional self-government, but in federations the right to self-government of the component states is constitutionally entrenched. Component states often also possess their own constitutions which they may amend as they see fit, although in

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972-406: A majority of the states or cantons. In Australia, this latter requirement is known as a double majority . Some federal constitutions also provide that certain constitutional amendments cannot occur without the unanimous consent of all states or of a particular state. The US constitution provides that no state may be deprived of equal representation in the senate without its consent. In Australia, if

1053-407: A means to resolve situations where the two houses are at odds with each other. In recent times, parliamentary systems have tended to weaken the powers of upper houses relative to their lower counterparts. Some upper houses have been fully abolished; others have had their powers reduced by constitutional or legislative amendments. Also, conventions often exist that the upper house ought not to obstruct

1134-438: A mechanism (a safeguard) against the possibilities of rebellion or war—or the rise of repressive government via a would-be dictator or a centralized oligarchy . Proponents of federal systems have historically argued that the structures of checks-and-balances and power-sharing that are inherent in a federal system reduces threats—both foreign and domestic. And federalism enables a state to be both large and diverse , by mitigating

1215-428: A member typically receives 130,000 to 150,000 CHF per year. The Council of States reflects the federal nature of Switzerland: seats are distributed by state ( canton ), not by population. Most cantons send two representatives, but the historic half-cantons (Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landshaft) each send one. Consequently, the number of people represented by

1296-563: A multi-state setting—with the concept termed a "federal union of states", as situated on the pathway (sprectrum) of regional-integration or regional-separation . Examples of federalism today, i.e., the federation of a central/federal government with regional sub-unit governments, include: Argentina , Australia , Austria , Belgium , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Brazil , Canada , Ethiopia , Germany , India , Iraq , Malaysia , Mexico , Micronesia , Nepal , Nigeria , Pakistan , Russia , Somalia , South Sudan , Sudan , Switzerland ,

1377-661: A particular region or regions. In Spain, the Basques and Catalans , as well as the Galicians , spearheaded a historic movement to have their national specificity recognized, crystallizing in the "historical communities" such as Navarre , Galicia , Catalonia , and the Basque Country . They have more powers than the later expanded arrangement for other Spanish regions, or the Spain of the autonomous communities (called also

1458-523: A proposed amendment will specifically impact one or more states, then it must be endorsed in the referendum held in each of those states. Any amendment to the Canadian constitution that would modify the role of the monarchy would require unanimous consent of the provinces. The German Basic Law provides that no amendment is admissible at all that would abolish the federal system. It has been argued that federalism and other forms of territorial autonomy are

1539-419: A qualified majority. Names and votes will be published if 10 members request this. Council members earn a base salary of 26,000 CHF per year plus a 440 CHF per diem for attending sessions of the council or the committees. Members also receive 33,000 CHF per year for staff and material expenses. Members also receive food, travel and hotel allowances and a pension contribution. The Swiss government estimates that

1620-400: A single seat in the Council of State varies by a factor of 45.8, from 16,000 for the half-canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden to 733,050 for each of the two seats for the canton of Zurich . Notes: Population data from 2015 (). Relative representation compared to Zürich. Upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature , the other chamber being

1701-532: A state and provides only limited regional sovereignty, anarchist federalism as envisioned by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon is stateless, providing every autonomy with absolute sovereignty and distinct individuality. The Swiss constitution , in its support of indivisibility and nationhood and its view that its cantons are mere territorial divisions rather than sovereign constituencies, is incompatible with anarchist federalism and its principles of free association , decentralization and autonomy . Anarchist federalism

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1782-530: A stronger central government. When the U.S. Constitution was being drafted, the Federalist Party supported a stronger central government, while " Anti-Federalists " wanted a weaker central government. This is very different from the modern usage of "federalism" in Europe and the United States. The distinction stems from the fact that "federalism" is situated in the middle of the political spectrum between

1863-492: A useful way to structure political systems in order to prevent violence among different groups within countries because it allows certain groups to legislate at the subnational level. Some scholars have suggested, however, that federalism can divide countries and result in state collapse because it creates proto-states. Still others have shown that federalism is only divisive when it lacks mechanisms that encourage political parties to compete across regional boundaries. Federalism

1944-412: Is a gradual movement of power from the component states to the centre, as the federal government acquires additional powers, sometimes to deal with unforeseen circumstances. The acquisition of new powers by a federal government may occur through formal constitutional amendment or simply through a broadening of the interpretation of a government's existing constitutional powers given by the courts. Usually,

2025-440: Is a rejection of the statism and nationalism present in modern federations, and instead provides an alternative system of federative organization founded on stateless individuality and autonomy . For anarchists, republican federalism is as oppressive as a centralized, unitary state , for all it is perceived to accomplish is delegate and transfer the perceived oppression of a state to local levels and jurisdictions . In

2106-469: Is a tie. In three cases, votes require a majority in both councils in order to pass: emergency legislation , votes on subsidies, guarantees, or any expenditure of more than 20 million CHF on a non-recurring basis, or 2 million CHF on a recurring basis. In any case where a majority of the council is required, the president of the council will vote. Until 2014, votes in the chamber were conducted with members raising their hands to be counted. After Politnetz,

2187-478: Is divided into municipalities ( municípios ) with their own legislative council ( câmara de vereadores ) and a mayor ( prefeito ), which are partly autonomous from both Federal and State Government. Each municipality has a "little constitution", called "organic law" ( lei orgânica ). Mexico is an intermediate case, in that municipalities are granted full-autonomy by the federal constitution and their existence as autonomous entities ( municipio libre , "free municipality")

2268-497: Is established by the federal government and cannot be revoked by the states' constitutions. Moreover, the federal constitution determines which powers and competencies belong exclusively to the municipalities and not to the constituent states . However, municipalities do not have an elected legislative assembly. Federations often employ the paradox of being a union of states, while still being states (or having aspects of statehood ) in themselves. For example, James Madison (author of

2349-489: Is federated, vs. only part of their territory is federated. Some systems are national while others, like the European Union , are supra-national. Two extremes of federalism are notable: 1) at one extreme, the strong federal state is almost completely unitary, with few powers reserved to local governments; 2) at the opposite extreme, the national government may be a federation in name-only, while actually operating as

2430-510: Is held in which a simple plurality is sufficient to be elected. The two candidates with the most votes in the second round are elected. However, eligibility to vote varies according to the applicable cantonal law. Two notable variations are that qualified foreigners may vote in Neuchâtel and Jura, and the minimum voting age is 16 in Glarus . In all the cantons except Appenzell Innerrhoden

2511-491: Is represented by an equal number of senators irrespective of the size of its population. Alternatively, or in addition to this practice, the members of an upper house may be indirectly elected by the government or legislature of the component states, as occurred in the United States prior to 1913 , or be actual members or delegates of the state governments, as, for example, is the case in the German Bundesrat and in

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2592-650: Is sometimes seen as having a special role of safeguarding the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom and important civil liberties against ill-considered change. The House of Lords has a number of ways to block legislation and to reject it; however, the House of Commons can eventually use the Parliament Act to force something through. The Commons will often accept amendments passed by the Lords; however,

2673-516: Is sometimes viewed in the context of international negotiation as "the best system for integrating diverse nations, ethnic groups, or combatant parties, all of whom may have cause to fear control by an overly powerful center." However, those skeptical of federal prescriptions sometimes believe that increased regional autonomy can lead to secession or dissolution of the nation. In Syria , for example, federalization proposals have failed in part because "Syrians fear that these borders could turn out to be

2754-642: Is the British House of Lords . Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 , the House of Lords can no longer prevent the passage of most bills, but it must be given an opportunity to debate them and propose amendments, and can thereby delay the passage of a bill with which it disagrees. Bills can only be delayed for up to one year before the Commons can use the Parliament Act, although economic bills can only be delayed for one month. The House of Lords

2835-442: Is to directly represent the governments of component states in federal political institutions. Where a federation has a bicameral legislature the upper house is often used to represent the component states while the lower house represents the people of the nation as a whole. A federal upper house may be based on a special scheme of apportionment , as is the case in the senates of the United States and Australia, where each state

2916-477: The Articles of Confederation as the general level of government of the original Thirteen Colonies ; and, later in the United States, the Confederate States of America ). And federalism also differs from the unitary state , where the regional level is subordinate to the central/federal government, even after a devolution of powers—and is notable for regional-integration of governing powers , (e.g.,

2997-535: The Council of the European Union . The lower house of a federal legislature is usually directly elected, with apportionment in proportion to population, although states may sometimes still be guaranteed a certain minimum number of seats. In Canada, the provincial governments represent regional interests and negotiate directly with the central government. A First Ministers conference of the prime minister and

3078-472: The European Union , ultimately leading to the United States of Europe . Although there are medieval and early modern examples of European states which used confederal and federal systems, contemporary European federalism originated in post-war Europe; one of the more important initiatives was Winston Churchill 's speech in Zürich in 1946. In the United States , federalism originally referred to belief in

3159-517: The German state of Bavaria had an appointed second chamber, the Senate of Bavaria , from 1946 to 1999. The Senate of the Philippines was abolished – and restored – twice: from 1935 to 1945 when a unicameral National Assembly convened, and from 1972 to 1987 when Congress was closed, and later a new constitution was approved instituting a unicameral Parliament. The Senate was re-instituted with

3240-530: The United Arab Emirates , the United States , and Venezuela . The terms "federalism" and "confederalism" share a root in the Latin word foedus , meaning " treaty , pact or covenant ". Until the late eighteenth century their two early meanings were essentially the same: a simple league among sovereign states , based on a treaty; (thus, initially the two were synonyms). It

3321-465: The United Kingdom ). Federalism is at the midpoint of variations on the pathway (or spectrum) of regional-integration or regional-separation . It is bordered on the increasing-separation side by confederalism, and on the increasing-integration side by devolution within a unitary state; (see "pathway" graphic). Some characterize the European Union as a pioneering example of federalism in

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3402-689: The United Provinces of the Netherlands (1579–1795); the German Bund (1815–66); the first American union, known as the Confederation of the United States of America (1781–89); and the second American union, formed as the United States of America (1789-present). Modern federalism is a political system that (nominally) is based upon operating under democratic rules and institutions; and where governing powers are shared between

3483-775: The United States Constitution ) wrote in Federalist Paper No. 39 that the US Constitution "is in strictness neither a national nor a federal constitution; but a composition of both. In its foundation, it is federal, not national; in the sources from which the ordinary powers of the Government are drawn, it is partly federal, and partly national..." This stems from the fact that states in the US maintain all sovereignty that they do not yield to

3564-572: The economy . Consequently, anarchist federalism, promoting widespread, common ownership over the means of production , detests the centralized and unequal nature of capitalism , and the hierarchy of its companies and corporations : an anarchist federalist society would envisage widespread, federalized wealth distribution . Comparing republican and anarchist federalism, James Guillaume states that Switzerland 's federative cantonal system , despite its direct democracy , differs significantly from anarchist federalism: while Swiss federalism retains

3645-475: The lower house . The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted power than the lower house. A legislature composed of only one house (and which therefore has neither an upper house nor a lower house) is described as unicameral . An upper house is usually different from the lower house in at least one of the following respects (though they vary among jurisdictions): Powers: Status: In parliamentary systems

3726-491: The polis bringing villages together, and in cities themselves forming confederations . In the modern era Federalism was first adopted by a union of the states of the Old Swiss Confederacy as of the mid-14th century. Federalism differs from confederalism , where the central government is created subordinate to the regional states—and is notable for its regional-separation of governing powers, (e.g.,

3807-407: The "coffee for everyone" arrangement), partly to deal with their separate identity and to appease peripheral nationalist leanings, partly out of respect to specific rights they had held earlier in history. However, strictly speaking Spain is not a federation, but a system of asymmetric devolved government within a unitary state. It is common that during the historical evolution of a federation there

3888-705: The British House of Lords until 1999 and in the Japanese House of Peers until it was abolished in 1947. It is also common that the upper house consists of delegates chosen by state governments or local officials. Members of the Rajya Sabha in India are nominated by various states and union territories, while 12 of them are nominated by the President of India. Similarly, at the state level, one-third of

3969-474: The Constitution provides, all cantons except Neuchâtel and Jura (which use proportional representation to elect their councilors) elect councilors through an up to two-round system of voting. In the first round of voting, candidates must obtain an absolute majority of the vote in order to be elected. If no candidate receives an absolute majority in the first round of voting then a second round

4050-577: The Forum of Federations partner governments include Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan and Switzerland. The governments of Argentina , Australia , Brazil , India , and Mexico , among others, are organized along federalist principles. In Europe , "federalist" is sometimes used to describe those who favor a common federal government, with distributed power at regional, national and supranational levels. The Union of European Federalists advocates for this development within

4131-508: The Senate ), was overlaid upon the pre-existing regional governments of the thirteen independent States. With each level of government allocated a defined sphere of powers, under a written constitution and the rule of law (that is, subject to the independent third-party arbitration of a supreme court in competence disputes), the two levels were thus brought into a coordinate relationship for the first time. In 1946, Kenneth Wheare observed that

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4212-473: The Union and the Member States as concurrent powers are retained by the constituent States. Where every component state of a federation possesses the same powers, we are said to find 'symmetric federalism'. Asymmetric federalism exists where states are granted different powers, or some possess greater autonomy than others do. This is often done in recognition of the existence of a distinct culture in

4293-537: The United States, the meaning of federalism shifted, now referring uniquely to the novel compound-political form established at the Philadelphia Constitution Convention —while the meaning of confederalism remained as a league of states. In a narrow sense, federalism refers to the mode in which the body politic of a state is organized internally—and this is the meaning most often used in modern times. Political scientists, however, use

4374-523: The Weatherill Amendment to the House of Lords Act 1999 , which preserved 92 hereditary peers in the house. Compromise and negotiation between the two houses make the Parliament Act a very rarely used backup plan. Even without a veto, an upper house may defeat legislation. Its opposition may give the lower chamber a chance to reconsider or even abandon a controversial measure. It can also delay

4455-613: The abolition, while the centrist Fianna Fáil was alone among major parties in supporting the retention of the Seanad. Federalism Johannes Althusius (1563-1638), is considered the father of modern federalism, along with Montesquieu . In 1603, Althusius first described the bases of this political philosophy in his Politica Methodice Digesta, Atque Exemplis Sacris et Profanis Illustrata . By 1748, in his treatise The Spirit of Law , Montesquieu (1689-1755) observed various examples of federalist governments: in corporate societies, in

4536-463: The basis of a federal society, constituent entities of an anarchist federation are ideally autonomous and self-determining, collaborating equally, freely and mutually within the federation through the values of solidarity and autonomy . Unlike a republican federation, federalism, in anarchy, is not simply a form of political division or devolution , but rather, federative principles apply to all aspects of society, including social relations and

4617-432: The bottom-up, from the periphery to the centre. Higher-order units are merely the direct expression of lower-order units delegating, combining and coordinating. Though there is no central government or administration, higher-order committees and councils , composed of delegates from federal constituencies, may convene under a popular, revocable mandate . Embracing the principle of free and voluntary association as

4698-449: The business of government for frivolous or merely partisan reasons. These conventions have tended to harden with a passage of time. In presidential systems, the upper house is frequently given other powers to compensate for its restrictions: There are a variety of ways an upper house's members are assembled: by direct or indirect election, appointment or a mixture of these. Many upper houses are not directly elected but appointed: either by

4779-481: The cantonal authorities. Under the Swiss Federal Constitution , the mode of election to the Council of States is left to the cantons, the provision being that it must be a democratic method. All cantons now provide for the councilors to be chosen by popular election, although historically it was typically the cantons' legislatures that elected representatives to Bern. Despite this freedom that

4860-445: The constitution of the United States must be ratified by three-quarters of either the state legislatures, or of constitutional conventions specially elected in each of the states, before it can come into effect. In referendums to amend the constitutions of Australia and Switzerland it is required that a proposal be endorsed not just by an overall majority of the electorate in the nation as a whole, but also by separate majorities in each of

4941-468: The councillors are elected concurrently with the members of the National Council. In Appenzell Innerrhoden the representative is elected by the popular assembly ( Landsgemeinde ) during the April before the national vote. In debates, councilors can choose any of the federal languages, usually the one they are most proficient in: German, French, Italian, or Romansh. German ( High German ) and French are

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5022-534: The creation of an entirely new system of government that provided for democratic representation at two governing levels simultaneously, which was implemented in the US Constitution . In the United States implementation of federalism, a bicameral general government, consisting of a chamber of popular representation proportional to population ( the House of Representatives ), and a chamber of equal State-based representation consisting of two delegates per State (

5103-461: The event of conflict the federal constitution usually takes precedence. In almost all federations the central government enjoys the powers of foreign policy and national defense as exclusive federal powers . Were this not the case a federation would not be a single sovereign state, per the UN definition. Notably, the states of Germany retain the right to act on their own behalf at an international level,

5184-731: The federal government. Much like the US system, the Australian Constitution allocates to the Federal government (the Commonwealth of Australia) the power to make laws about certain specified matters which were considered too difficult for the States to manage, so that the States retain all other areas of responsibility. Under the division of powers of the European Union in the Lisbon Treaty , powers which are not either exclusively of Union competence or shared between

5265-438: The federalization process: According to Daniel Ziblatt , there are four competing theoretical explanations for adopting a federal system: Immanuel Kant noted that "the problem of setting up a state can be solved even by a nation of devils" — if they possess a constitution that pits opposing factions against each other with a durable system of binding checks and balances . Essentially, particular states may use federation as

5346-615: The federation by their own consent. This was reaffirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which reserves all powers and rights that are not delegated to the Federal Government as left to the States and to the people. The structures of most federal governments incorporate mechanisms to protect the rights of component states. One method, known as ' intrastate federalism ',

5427-550: The head of state, by the head of government or in some other way. This is usually intended to produce a house of experts or otherwise distinguished citizens, who would not necessarily be returned in an election. For example, members of the Senate of Canada are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. In the past, some upper houses had seats that were entirely hereditary, such as in

5508-566: The members of the State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) are nominated by local governments, one-third by sitting legislators, and the rest are elected by select members of the electorate. The United States Senate was chosen by state legislatures until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. The upper house may be directly elected but in different proportions to the lower house - for example,

5589-407: The most frequently used. While the National Council offers simultaneous interpretation for German and French (since 1960) and Italian (since about 2000), the Council of States offers none. Councilors are expected to understand at least two languages, German and French. Issues before the council pass with a majority of the votes cast. The president of the council typically does not vote, unless there

5670-407: The provincial premiers is the de facto highest political forum in the land, although it is not mentioned in the constitution. Federations often have special procedures for amendment of the federal constitution. As well as reflecting the federal structure of the state this may guarantee that the self-governing status of the component states cannot be abolished without their consent. An amendment to

5751-533: The restoration of a bicameral Congress via a constitutional amendment in 1941, and via adoption of a new constitution in 1987. A previous government of Ireland (the 31st Dáil) promised a referendum on the abolition of its upper house , the Seanad Éireann , during the 24th Seanad session. By a narrow margin, the Irish public voted to retain it. Conservative-leaning Fine Gael and Left-leaning Sinn Féin both supported

5832-727: The risk of a central government turning tyrannical. Countries around the world have implemented federal systems using variations of central and regional sovereignty for their governments. For convenience of studying these governments, they may be divided according to several catagories, such as: minimalistic federations, which consist of only two sub-federal units (subunits); as compared to multi-regional federations, consisting of three or more regional governments (subunits). Or, based on their body polity type: emirate, provincial, state, republicanism or constitutional monarchy , democratic—or democratic in-name-only . And, federal systems may be differentiated between those whose entire territory

5913-404: The same form by both houses. Additionally, a Government must have the consent of both to remain in office, a position which is known as "perfect bicameralism" or "equal bicameralism." The role of a revising chamber is to scrutinise legislation that may have been drafted over-hastily in the lower house and to suggest amendments that the lower house may nevertheless reject if it wishes to. An example

5994-536: The senates of Australia, Brazil and the United States have a fixed number of elected members from each state, regardless of the population. Many jurisdictions once possessed upper houses but abolished them to adopt unicameral systems, including Croatia , Denmark , Estonia , Hungary , Iceland , Iran , Mauritania , New Zealand , Peru , Sweden , Turkey , Venezuela , many Indian states , Brazilian states , Canadian provinces , subnational entities such as Queensland , and some other jurisdictions. Newfoundland had

6075-687: The term federalism in a much broader sense, referring instead to a "multi-layer or pluralistic concept of social and political life." The first forms of federalism took place in ancient times, in the form of alliances between city states. Some examples from the seventh to second century BC were the Archaic League , the Aetolic League , the Peloponnesian League , and the Delian League . An early ancestor of federalism

6156-502: The two houses have sometimes reached a constitutional standoff. For example, when the Labour Government of 1999 tried to expel all hereditary peers from the Lords, the Lords threatened to wreck the Government's entire legislative agenda and to block every bill which was sent to the chamber. This standoff led to negotiations between Viscount Cranborne, the then Shadow Leader of the House, and the Labour Government, resulting in

6237-415: The two levels of government in the US were "co-equally supreme". In this, he echoed the perspective of American founding father James Madison who saw the several States as forming "distinct and independent portions of the supremacy" in relation to the general government. In anarchism , federalism is a horizontalist and decentralized organizational doctrine which holds that society should be built from

6318-550: The upper house is frequently seen as an advisory or a "house of review" chamber; for this reason, its powers of direct action are often reduced in some way. Some or all of the following restrictions are often placed on upper houses: In parliamentary democracies and among European upper houses the Italian Senate is a notable exception to these general rules, in that it has the same powers as its lower counterpart: any law can be initiated in either house and must be approved in

6399-598: The word is much closer to the European sense. As the power of the U.S. federal government has increased, some people have perceived a much more unitary state than they believe the Founding Fathers intended. Most people politically advocating "federalism" in the United States argue in favor of limiting the powers of the federal government, especially the judiciary (see Federalist Society , New Federalism ). The contemporary concept of federalism came about with

6480-400: Was in this sense that James Madison referred to the new US Constitution as "neither a national nor a federal Constitution, but a composition of both"—i.e., constituting neither a single large unitary state nor a league/confederation among several small states, but a hybrid of the two forms—according to Madison; "The Federalist No. 39" . Notably, in the course of the nineteenth century in

6561-653: Was the Achaean League in Hellenistic Greece . Unlike the Greek city states of Classical Greece , each of which insisted on keeping its complete independence, changing conditions in the Hellenistic period drove city states to band together even at the cost of surrendering part of their sovereignty. Subsequent unions of states included the first and second Swiss Confederations (1291–1798 and 1815–48);

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