Chapter 11 - Comparative Government and Politics, 11th Edition

One in which sovereignty rests with the national government, and regional or local units have no independent powers.

One in which sovereignty is shared between two or more levels of government, each with independent powers and responsibilities.

An administrative system in which power is distributed and shared horizontally and vertically among different levels of government, from the supranational to the local, with considerable interaction among the parts.

Middle-level government in unitary states that takes place below the national level and above the local level.

A political system based on two or more levels of government with independent powers.

National and local levels of government function independently from one another, with separate responsibilities.

The layers are intermingled and it is difficult always to see who has ultimate responsibility.

The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest feasible level.

A system of administration that is formally unitary but has some of the features of a federation.

A looser form of a federation, consisting of a union of states with more powers left in the hands of the constituent members.

The lowest tier of government, taking place at a geographically contained local level, as in a county, town, or city.

A city that holds a key place within the global system via its financial, trade, communications, or manufacturing links. Examples include Dubai, London, Moscow, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Informal leaders who use military force and patronage to control territory within weak states with unstable central governments.