Unitary States and Centralized Power

In a unitary state, sovereignty rests with the central government, which may create or abolish regional and local governments and decide their powers. Most of the world's countries are unitary, including France, Japan, China, Indonesia and most of Africa and Latin America. Unitary does not necessarily mean centralized: the central government may delegate wide powers, as Scandinavian countries do to municipalities. France is the classic centralized example.

After the Revolution, it replaced old provinces with uniform départements in 1790, and Napoleon placed each under a prefect appointed from Paris in 1800. Decentralization laws from 1982 transferred some powers to elected regional and local councils. Supporters of unitary systems value uniform laws, clear responsibility and national unity. Critics argue that distant central governments may ignore regional needs and identities, which is why many unitary states have experimented with devolution and decentralization.