What is the Difference Between Federation and Confederation?

The main difference between a federation and a confederation lies in the degree of autonomy and centralization of power. Here are the key differences between the two:

1. Sovereignty: In a confederation, sovereignty is held by the member states, and the federal government is accountable to them. In a federation, sovereignty is held by the federal government, and the member states are subordinate to it.
2. Central Authority: The central authority in a confederation is usually a weak body appointed by the member states, while the central authority in a federation is a federal government that governs the member states.
3. Powers of the Central Authority: In a confederation, the central authority typically focuses on joint foreign policy and defense matters but rarely has the power to do much more than that. In a federation, the central authority has rights to exercise control over diplomatic, military, economic, and legal spheres of the member states, as determined by the constitution of the federation.
4. Membership: The membership of member states in a confederation is voluntary, while the membership in a federation is not.
5. Examples: Examples of confederations include the Toltec Empire, League of Mayapan, and Crown of Aragon. Examples of federations include countries such as Switzerland, the United States, Canada, and, more recently, Micronesia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In summary, a confederation is a loose association of independent states that maintain their autonomy and sovereignty, while a federation is a union of states in which the central government holds ultimate authority and the member states are subordinate to it.

Comparative Table: Federation vs Confederation

Here is a table outlining the key differences between a federation and a confederation:

In summary, a federation is a strict union where the central government holds the ultimate authority and governs the member states, while a confederation is a loose union where the member states maintain their sovereignty and often appoint a weak central authority for matters of political, economic, or administrative convenience.