fédéralisme

CONT: [...] le fédéralisme a trait à la forme d'organisation des États fédéraux, au sein desquels les compétences étatiques sont partagées entre une instance gouvernementale commune et des autorités des collectivités fédérées [...] On parlera alors de «fédéralisme canadien» ou «américain» ou encore de façon générique, de «fédéralisme» ou de «fédéralisme comparé».

CONT: Formally, [federalism] would appear to exist when the following features may be found in a political entity: (a) a division of powers between central and regional governments; (2) a certain degree of independence between central and regional governments; (3) direct action on the people by the central regional governments; and (4) some means of preserving the constitutional division of powers. In its practical functioning, federalism is characterized essentially by the political interdependence of the central regional authorities. In the background, there are numerous other factors - sociological, political, economic - that may explain the existence of such characteristic features in federal entities. But in deciding whether or not a particular state may be classified as federal, they cannot be of much help.