A Unitary system of government is best practiced in a homogeneous state because political powers of the state are concentrated in the hands of one single central government. There is no power sharing between the national government and any regional government. Nonetheless, the central government has the power to delegate its powers through delegated legislature to regional or subordinate bodies.

Also read: Meaning and Reasons for delegated legislation here

One of the reasons why many countries still practice unitary system of government is the fact that; through the concentration of political powers in one government, it will promote peace, security and a more stable government in the country. Nonetheless, this system of government also has its disadvantages or demerits anyway.

In this article we will be looking at the merits and demerits of unitary system of government. If you are a student or researcher searching for detailed information on the merit and demerits of unitary system, this article is for you. Trust me, you are not going to regret reading this work.

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Merits (Advantages) of unitary system of government

1. Easy and quicker decision making: One of the most significant merits of unitary system of government is the fact that there is lesser authority to be consulted before decisions in the country are made. This brings about easy and faster decision making by the government on critical matters. It is unlike a federal system of government where all the units of governments and authorities in the state must be consulted be decisions are made.

2. Promotion of peace and unity: Another reason why a unitary system of government is advantageous is the fact that; it tends to bring peace and unity in the country. Since there is just one government controlling the whole country, there will be no opposition of powers, debate or struggle before decisions that affect the government are made.

3. Prevention of the waste of human resources: It has also been argued that one of the merits of unitary system of government is that, it prevention of waste of human resources in the nation. This is largely true because, the concentration of powers puts all authority of the sate in one government which will make it better and easier for resources of the to be disseminated to every parts of the nation.

However, it will not easy in a federal system of government because, in a federation, different units of the government handle the resources of the state independently of othere. Thus, there is more likelihood of wasting the resources.

4. Unitary system of government removes the problem of constitutional friction between the national and regional government: One of the problems which unitary system of government tends to solve is the constitutional friction between the national and regional government. In a federation, there is usually no clear cut demarcation between the powers and functions of the national and regional governments. In light of that, there is usually a clash between the central government and regional government in a federation.

But this is not so in a unitary system of government because political powers are concentrated in the hands of a single central government. There is apparently no other unit of government except bodies to which government powers are delegated to.

Now that you know the merits of unitary system of government, we will now turn to the demerits of unitary system of government. Here you will see the reasons why many countries do not adopt a unitary system of government.

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Demerits (Disadvantages) of Unitary system of government

Below are the disadvantages or demerits of unitary system of government:

1. The central government are burdened with too many functions and responsibilities:

In a unitary system of government, the central government is usually burdened with so many functions and responsibilities because there is no other unit of government to share those functions with.

This is even a bigger problem it is wrongly practiced in a large nation. It might be impossible for the central government to manage all the problem in the country effectively.

2. Unequal growth and development in the state:

Another demerit of unitary system of government is the unequal growth and development which the system causes. This is so because the central government can not possibly develop every part of the nation at the same time without sharing its powers. Definitely some parts of the nation will be left aside.

Conversely, this will lead to an unequal development in the nation. As a result of this demerit, Unitary system of government can also cause crisis in a nation.

3. Unitary system of government is unsuitable for a multi-ethnic country:

This is another significant reason why many countries jettison unitary system of government. Unitary system of government is not suitable for a multi-ethical nation.

In fact, it is unfeasible to practice unitary system in such kind of nation. This is so because, in a multi-ethical nation people have different beliefs and religion. Conversely, if political powers are concentrated in the hands of just one central government, leaving people at the local level aside, there will definitely be crisis and power struggle in the country.

Also read: See the reason why indirect rule was adopted in Nigeria during colonialism

4. It does not create room for wider participation in government: In a unitary system of government, powers are concentrated in the center, making it difficult or even impossible for people at the local level to be able to participate in government. This is unlike a federal system because it does not allow for a wider participation of government.

However, in a federation, powers are clearly share and the local government system is employed to ensure that there is a government at the grassroot level. Thus, even if people can not participate in the activities of the nation from the national level, they can still participate from the local level.

Also read: Methods of controlling delegated legislation

5. Slow growth and development of the country: Unitary system of government usually causes a slow economic growth and development in the country, especially in a heterogeneous economy.

This is so because only one central government can not possibly bring about develop in a country with different tribes and religion. But if the powers are shared between different units, each government will be able to focus and ensure rapid growth.

For this reason, many scholars are of the view that; rapid economic development is more feasible in a federal system of government than in a unitary system of government.

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Wrapping up

Okay! This is where I am going to end on the merits and demerits of unitary system of government. Like it is always said, anything that has advantages also has disadvantages too. There is no doubt that unitary system of government is a good system, especially when it is practiced in a small and homogeneous state. Nonetheless, it still has disadvantages too.

Hope this article was insightful? Well I did like to here from you if you love this work. Kindly tell me what you think in the comment section.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.