Structure: Federal / Unitary

What this axis explores

Federal arrangements distribute authority between national, regional and local institutions. Unitary arrangements place greater responsibility in a common national framework. The distinction concerns territory and jurisdiction: two governments can both hold elections while allocating their powers very differently.

How the questions explore the axis

The question pool examines local taxation, regional constitutions, public services, policing, national standards and the ability of communities to choose their own rules. Support for local autonomy moves toward Federal; support for uniform national authority moves toward Unitary.

Decentralization does not by itself establish democracy. Read this axis alongside Representation to separate the location of power from who controls it. For example, the same policy can be decided locally or nationally without changing its substance. A useful follow-up is whether your preferred division of authority would remain acceptable when a different party controls the national government or your own region.