Federal republic

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/federal-republic

1. What is the key federal competencies?
2. What is the key regional competencies?
3. Why do some countries choose a federal republic instead of a unitary republic?
4. How does a federal republic keep the government from becoming too powerful?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key federal competencies?Typically include national defense, foreign policy, international treaties, and monetary policy
2. What is the key regional competencies?Often encompass education, infrastructure maintenance, public health, and intra-state commerce
3. Why do some countries choose a federal republic instead of a unitary republic?Federal republics let regions have their own rules for things like schools and roads, while the national government handles big matters like defense and money. This helps big, diverse countries stay united but still respect local differences.
4. How does a federal republic keep the government from becoming too powerful?The constitution writes down which powers belong to the national government and which belong to the states. If they disagree, the constitution gives ways to solve the problem.

Federalism: A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.
Sovereignty: The supreme authority within a territory; in federal republics, it is shared between different levels of government.
Constituent Units: The individual states, provinces, or regions that make up a federal republic.
Unitary State: A state governed as a single entity in which the central government is ultimately supreme.