Federalism is a system where a constitution divides power between a national government and regional governments, each with its own authority. In AP Comparative Government, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia are the federal course countries, while China, Iran, and the UK are unitary.
Federalism splits governing power between a central (national) government and regional governments like states, provinces, or republics. The key word is constitutionally. In a federal system, regional governments get their powers from the constitution itself, so the central government can't just take them away. That's what separates federalism from devolution, where a central government hands down power but legally keeps the right to grab it back.
In AP Comp Gov, three of the six course countries are federal: Mexico (31 states), Nigeria (36 states), and Russia (a federation of republics, oblasts, and other regions). The other three (China, Iran, and the UK) are unitary. Why does a country choose federalism? Usually because it's big, diverse, or both. Nigeria uses federalism to manage deep ethnic and religious cleavages between its north and south. Russia's federal structure exists on paper to accommodate its dozens of ethnic republics, though Putin has recentralized so much power that scholars debate how federal Russia really is in practice.
Federalism lives in Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation, supporting AP Comp Gov 3.2.A (how political culture shapes the role of the state) and 3.8.A / 3.8.B (describing social cleavages and explaining how states respond to them). The connection is direct. Per LEG-2.B.2, states respond to ethnic and territorial cleavages in different ways, ranging from repression to creating autonomous regions. Federalism is one of the biggest tools in that toolbox. When a cleavage is territorial (an ethnic group concentrated in one region, like Tibetans in China or the Yoruba in southwest Nigeria), giving that region its own government can defuse separatist pressure. The exam loves asking you to compare how federal and unitary states handle these divisions, so knowing which course country uses which system is non-negotiable.
Keep studying AP Comparative Government Unit 3
Unitary System (Unit 3)
The direct opposite of federalism. In a unitary system, all legitimate power flows from the central government. China, Iran, and the UK are the unitary course countries. Memorize the 3-and-3 split, because comparison questions depend on it.
Devolution (Unit 3)
Devolution looks like federalism but isn't. The UK devolved power to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, yet Westminster could legally dissolve them tomorrow. In a federal system like Nigeria's, states have constitutional protection. The test is whether the central government can take the power back.
Cleavages and Ethnic Conflict (Unit 3)
Federalism is a state response to territorial cleavages. Nigeria's federal character principle distributes power across ethnic regions to keep any one group from dominating. Compare that to China, which stayed unitary and manages Uyghur and Tibetan regions through 'autonomous regions' that have little real autonomy.
Constitution (Units 2-3)
Federalism only counts if it's written into the constitution. That's why the 2018 SAQ specifically said Nigeria and Russia have 'constitutionally established federal systems.' The constitution is what makes the division of power formal rather than a revocable favor.
Federalism shows up in both MCQs and FRQs, almost always in a comparative frame. The 2018 SAQ Q7 stated that 'Nigeria and Russia both have constitutionally established federal systems' and asked you to work with that fact, so you need to do more than define the term. You should be able to explain why a country adopts federalism (usually to manage ethnic or regional cleavages) and evaluate how federal a country is in practice. Russia is the classic case here. Putin's recentralization (like appointing regional governors for years instead of letting voters elect them) means Russia is federal on paper but heavily centralized in reality. MCQs also test the contrast with unitary systems, like comparing how Russia and the UK constitutionally handle separatism, or identifying China's treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang as a repressive unitary-state response to an ethnic cleavage.
Both involve regional governments holding power, so they're easy to mix up. The difference is where the power comes from and whether it's permanent. Federalism means the constitution itself grants power to regions, so the center can't unilaterally revoke it (Nigeria, Mexico, Russia). Devolution means a unitary central government chooses to delegate power downward and retains the legal right to take it back (the UK with Scotland and Wales). A devolved UK is still a unitary state. If an exam question describes the UK as federal, that's a trap.
Federalism constitutionally divides power between a central government and regional governments, and each level has authority the other can't simply revoke.
Among the six AP Comp Gov course countries, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia are federal, while China, Iran, and the UK are unitary.
Federalism is a common state response to territorial and ethnic cleavages, since giving a region self-government can reduce separatist pressure (LEG-2.B.2).
Federalism is not the same as devolution: the UK devolved power to Scotland and Wales but remains a unitary state because Westminster can legally reclaim that power.
Russia is the go-to example of the gap between formal and actual federalism, because Putin's recentralization stripped regions of real autonomy despite the constitution.
On the exam, expect to compare how federal and unitary course countries manage separatism and ethnic minorities, not just define the term.
Federalism is a system where a constitution divides governing power between a national government and regional governments, each with its own legally protected authority. In AP Comp Gov, the federal course countries are Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia.
No. The UK is a unitary state with devolution. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have devolved governments, but Parliament granted those powers and can legally take them back, which is exactly what disqualifies it from being federal.
Federalism means regional power is written into the constitution and can't be unilaterally revoked, like Nigeria's 36 states. Devolution means a unitary central government delegates power downward but keeps ultimate authority, like the UK with the Scottish Parliament.
Constitutionally, yes. Russia's federal structure was confirmed in the 2018 SAQ, which described Nigeria and Russia as having 'constitutionally established federal systems.' In practice, Putin has recentralized power so heavily that Russia's federalism is largely formal rather than functional, and that gap is exactly what FRQs ask you to analyze.
To manage deep ethnic and religious cleavages among groups like the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo, and between the Muslim north and Christian south. Dividing power across 36 states keeps any single group from dominating the national government.