The Encyclopedia of Democracy

Authors: Lipset
Summary: This entry of about 2200 words defines government in terms of its varying levels, discusses centralization versus decentralization, analyzes cooperative federalism, and explores informal cooperation.
Government is defined by the entry in terms of different levels, and refers to "the territorial distribution of authority within a state." Power distribution among government levels has been the subject of much debate by scholars and politicians alike because the topic concerns fundamental issues like democracy and efficiency. The entry offers thoughts about government fragmentation and consolidation, and provides a variety of applicable examples.
Generally speaking, governments have two options when it comes to policy implementation: central government control or decentralization through autonomous regional authorities. Centralized authority is the model of rational and efficient government, but under such a system democracy is separated from administration. In a decentralized system, responsibilities and tasks are shared among distinct levels of authority. Most western countries have at least three main layers of government, and the entry provides numerous examples.
Cooperative federalism encourages centralization, which favors federal authorities, who generally hold key powers, control the purse strings, and can best respond to citizen demands. In addition to being a political issue, centralizing federal systems also stems from concerns about legal due process, and economic and commercial needs. In most modern states, the traditional autonomy between different governmental levels has been replaced by permeable jurisdictional boundaries, and the various levels of government now share responsibilities and resources. Again, the entry provides many relevant examples and comparisons.
Finally, the entry considers informal cooperation among government levels, relationships that are often more important than formal cooperative requirements. These links between central and local authorities can take many forms and the entry offers a variety of examples. Regardless of specific structure, federal systems are highly complex governments.