Features of Federalism

CBSE Class 10, Social Science, Political Science

Introduction

Hello students, in this article we will learn the 7 Features of Federalism. Additionally we will also learn a technique called a Visual Mnemonic that will help you remember this lesson effectively.

Features of federalism from chapter 2, Federalism, is an important topic in Political Science.

5-mark questions have been based on this topic in previous years and they can be expected in the future too.

The 7 Features of Federalism

Listed below are the 7 Features of Federalism.

There are two or more levels or tiers of government
Different tiers govern the same citizens – but each tier has own jurisdiction in legislation, taxation and administration
Jurisdictions of tiers are specified in the constitution and thus their existence and authority is constitutionally guaranteed
Fundamental provisions cannot be unilaterally changed. Requires consent from all levels of government
Courts have power to interpret the constitution and powers of tiers. The Supreme Court mediates if disputes arise among different tiers
Sources of revenue clearly defined to ensure financial autonomy
A Federal system has dual objectives – safeguard and promote unity of country, and accommodate regional diversity.

Applying the Technique

Now let’s discuss a technique called visual mnemonics that we had mentioned earlier. If you have a strong visual memory you may be surprised to find that you can remember information more effectively when it has been encoded in the form of a picture.

Consider the picture below. It seems like a family enjoying a peaceful Sunday morning. However it has been conceived carefully to make each character and prop represent a specific concept in the 7 Features of Federalism.

Think of the brother and sister as representing the two levels of the government.
The toy mouse represents the citizens. See the letters on the mouse’s clothes – L, A, and T? They are cues to remember legislation, administration and taxation. (Are you implying that the government plays with the citizens? 😉 Absolutely not. This toy is just a small part of forming a coherent story )
The mother represents the constitution. She has made some rules for the children that they have to follow.
The bit of paper that both children are handing to the mother is a request. They are requesting a change in the rules that the mother has formed.
The father represents the judiciary. If the children have an argument, he can step in to mediate.
The piggy banks represent money and revenue.
The stack of different coloured pencils represent diversity. Yes, it is tied into a single bundle representing unity.

Go through the image gallery a few times to internalise the scene. You will find that the next time you are trying to remember the 7 Features of Federalism, visualising this scene in your mind will fire your recall of the various concepts symbolised by it.

Weird isn’t it! Yet, if applied sincerely it can yield wonderful results.

Conclusion

The 7 Features of Federalism may seem daunting to remember but if learnt in conjunction with a memorisation aid like a visual mnemonic, it can be done easily.

We have prepared several other visual mnemonics for your lessons. Do check those out in our blog.

Happy learning!