Legal Definitions - simple state

A simple state, also known as a unitary state, is a form of government where the central government holds the majority of governmental power. In this system, any regional or local administrative divisions (like provinces, states, or counties) are subordinate to the central authority. The central government has the power to create, alter, or abolish these local divisions and can delegate or withdraw powers from them as it sees fit. This means that laws and policies tend to be uniform across the entire country, as they originate from a single, dominant source of authority.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a simple state:

• Example 1: National Education System

  Imagine a country where the Ministry of Education, a department of the national government, sets all curriculum standards, teacher qualifications, and funding allocations for every school across the entire nation. Local school boards exist, but their primary role is to implement these national directives, manage day-to-day operations, and report back to the central ministry. They do not have the authority to create their own distinct educational policies or curricula that deviate significantly from the national standard.

  This illustrates a simple state because all significant educational power resides with the central government. Local educational bodies are merely administrative arms, executing policies determined at the national level rather than having independent legislative authority over education.

• Example 2: Centralized Law Enforcement

  Consider a nation where there is a single, national police force that operates uniformly across all geographical regions. While there might be regional headquarters or local precincts, all officers are part of the same national organization, follow the same national laws and procedures, and report up a single chain of command to a national police commissioner or ministry. Local municipalities do not have the power to establish their own independent police forces with different jurisdictions or operational rules.

  This demonstrates a simple state because law enforcement authority is concentrated at the national level. The central government dictates policing policy and structure for the entire country, with local units acting as extensions of this central power.

• Example 3: Administrative Boundary Changes

  In a particular country, the national parliament passes a law that reorganizes the existing provinces, merging some, splitting others, and redrawing their borders, all without requiring a vote or approval from the affected provincial governments or their populations. The central government simply enacts the change, and the new administrative structures come into being.

  This exemplifies a simple state because the central government possesses the ultimate authority to define and redefine its internal administrative divisions. It can unilaterally alter the existence and boundaries of sub-national entities, highlighting the subordinate nature of these regions to the central power.