Governance in an effective way is the key to the success of the region. Right from ancient times, there has been the existence of a system of governance to establish peace and harmony. Power has had a subjective nature in different systems of governance. The two main systems of governance are federalism and feudalism.
Federalism vs Feudalism
The main difference between federalism and feudalism is that federalism is the division of power between central and state governments while feudalism is entirely based on the feudal Lord, chief, and king. Federalism is political philosophy and system while feudalism is a tradition followed especially during Medieval Europe.
Federalism is a governance system. Though the power is divided between the central and state government, the federal or central government has more power than the state. The independence of having own judiciary, legislative assembly, and the executive branch are possible only through federalism. The sovereignty is equally divided between units, states, and provinces politically.
On the other hand, feudalism is a decentralized political structure. There is a monarch or chief to control and make decisions and has the ultimate power. There are further sub-classifications of the social classes based on the profession in the feudal system.
Comparison Table Between Federalism and Feudalism
| Parameters of Comparison | Federalism | Feudalism |
| Word origin | Originated from the word “foedus” | Originated from the word “fief” |
| Social structure | The members collaborate with the head | Decentralized structure with a social hierarchy system |
| Principle | Division of power and authority | Power lies with the potent feudal Lord, chief, or the king |
| Characteristics | Modernity | Obsolete |
| Example | India, Pakistan, Brazil, United States, Mexico, Belgium, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Bosnia, Australia, Switzerland, Nigeria, Argentina, Belgium | England, United States, Italy, France, Portugal, and Germany |
What is Federalism?
Federalism is a type or model of government that is mixed with a general government and other regional governments under a single political system. The general government refers to the central or federal government while the regional government refers to the state, provincial, territorial, and cantonal units or sub-units. Federalism is also referred to as the relationship or bridge of parity formed between the two levels of government.
In federalism, the power is usually divided between the levels of government that have equal or similar status. The European Union is considered as the foundation of federalism in a multistate setting. There have been several movements to establish federalism. The initial states with federalism established were called “federalists“. Federalism has two main objectives – safeguard the unity and recognize regional diversity.
The principle of federalism is based on democratic rules and which give the power to give govern and is shared between national and state governments. The advocates of federalism were Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and James Madison. There are mainly three types of powers in federalism – expressed, implied and inherent.
The jurisdiction of each government is specified in the constitution. Examples of states that follow federalism are India, Pakistan, Brazil, United States, Mexico, Belgium, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Bosnia, Australia, Switzerland, Nigeria, Argentina, Belgium, and other such states.
What is Feudalism?
Feudalism is a type of designation in the social system which consists of a set of military and legal customs. This system existed in medieval Europe and originated in the Roman manorial system. This system is also called fiefdom or fief as it was used to hold the land of workers in exchange for service or labor from them. It was practiced right from the 8th century.
The feudal system of feudalism existed from the early to Central Middle Ages, from the 5th century to the 12th century. The feudal society can be divided into four social classes – the class of king, the class of nobles, the knights, and the class of peasants. Since the king was the owner of the entire land in his kingdom, he gave his land to his nobles who later rented it to the peasants.
Feudalism protected communities from warfare and violence as the central government collapsed in Western Europe. Feudalism provided security and protection against invaders. The trade was restored through feudalism. Feudalism was not laws but rather traditions.
Feudalism later took the role of “Neo-Feudalism” especially in the United States to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Charlemagne is considered the father of feudalism but the main inventor of Friday is Adam Smith.
Main Differences Between Federalism and Feudalism
- The word federalism is derived from the Latin word ‘foedus’ which means covenant while the word feudalism is derived from the word ‘fief’ which means fee.
- Federalism is a political system of division of sovereignty while feudalism is not a political system and is more of a traditional prevalent during the Medieval period.
- In federalism, the national and state government share the power while in feudalism, the individual power and governing body is the king.
- Federalism is a modern philosophy where entities require mutual support while feudalism is a traditional philosophy where entities are dependent on a feudal chief or Lord.
- Federalism has two main levels – central level ( national or federal level) and state level (provincial or regional) while feudalism has four main levels – the class of king, the class of nobles, the knights, and the class of peasants.
Conclusion
There are various types of government. Among the various types, federalism and feudalism are the two main types. Federalism has existed from the 1st century BC while feudalism has existed from the 16th century BC. Both governance systems have different principles and values.
Federalism encourages the division of power and authority. There are two main bodies in federalism – the central level and the state level. The election of prominent leaders is done by the people. It is a modern approach to governance and is followed in various regions.
The ideas of feudalism are in contrast with federalism. There is a presence of a supreme power or control, who would elect the common people based on their rank and profession and later receive the services according to the rank. It is a traditional approach to governance and is quite outdated.
References
- https://academic.oup.com/publius/article-abstract/37/4/551/1845140
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/05775132.1982.11470764