Federal & Unitary States
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AP Human Geography › Federal & Unitary States
Which of these statements best describes a unitary state?
A state where laws are administered uniformly, without regional authorities diluting the power.
A state where the highest law of the country is the divine law of God.
A state that is divided into several regions that are subject to one federal government, but also have delegated powers of their own.
None of these answers describes a unitary state.
A state in which the population is almost exclusively drawn from one religious, ethnic, or cultural group.
Explanation
A unitary state, as opposed to a federal state like the United States, is a state where laws are administered uniformly by one central government. There are no regional authorities, like the various states in the United States, who compete for power and dilute the authority of the central government.
What name is given to the system of government where power is shared between a centralized government and various regional authorities?
Federalism
Republicanism
Autocracy
Fascism
Imperialism
Explanation
Federalism is a system of government where power is shared (in various arrangements) between a centralized government and various regional authorities. The United States is a federal country because power is shared between the national government and the governments of the various states.