Federalism

Federalism is a political concept describing the practice whereby a group of members are bound together by agreement or covenant (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. It refers to a system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally shared between a central governing authority and constituent political units (such as states or provinces). Leading examples of such a political system, or federation, include Switzerland, Germany, the United States, Canada, Australia and India. Federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments. The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world depending on context.

European vs. American Federalism

In Europe, "Federalist" is sometimes used to describe those who favor a common federal government, with distributed power at regional, national and supranational levels. Most European federalists want this development to continue within the European Union. European federalism originated in post-war Europe; one of the more important initiatives was Winston Churchill's speech in Zurich in 1946.