Political Union
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A Political Union is a sovereign entity formed by the voluntary unification of two or more political entities, such as states, countries, or regions, to create a single governmental structure with shared political, economic, or social goals.
- Context:
- It can (typically) result from treaties or agreements between sovereign states that wish to consolidate certain functions, such as defense, foreign policy, or economic regulation.
- It can (often) include a centralized governing authority that holds certain powers delegated by the member entities, depending on the degree of integration.
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- It can range from a loose association of independent states (e.g., a confederation) to a fully integrated unitary state.
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- It can evolve over time, with member entities ceding more power to the central authority, as seen in the transformation from the Articles of Confederation to the United States Constitution.
- It can encompass multiple levels of governance, balancing the autonomy of individual states or regions with the powers of the central government.
- It can provide a framework for shared sovereignty, where member states retain significant control over certain areas of policy but act collectively in others.
- It can face tensions between centralization and decentralization, as different regions may push for greater autonomy or integration.
- It can serve as a mechanism for conflict resolution among its members, providing a unified approach to external threats and internal disputes.
- It can be created to preserve cultural, political, or economic cohesion among closely related entities, as seen in the formation of nation-states.
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- Example(s):
- Historic Political Unions, such as:
- Union of the Crowns (1603): The personal union of England and Scotland under James VI and I, leading to a shared monarchy but separate governments.
- Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795): A dual-state political union between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, governed by a common monarch and parliament.
- Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918): A political union of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, each with its own government but sharing a common monarch and foreign policy.
- Kalmar Union (1397-1523): A political union of the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch.
- Modern Political Unions, such as:
- United Kingdom (1707-present): A political union of England, Scotland, Wales, and later Northern Ireland, with a centralized government and devolved administrations.
- European Union (1951-present): A political and economic union of European nations, evolving from the European Coal and Steel Community to a supranational entity with shared governance in areas such as trade, immigration, and law.
- United States (1789-present): A federal union formed by the adoption of the US Constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation and establishing a strong central government.
- United Arab Emirates (1971-present): A political union of seven emirates in the Arabian Peninsula with a shared constitution, unified foreign policy, and economic integration.
- Short-Lived Political Unions, such as:
- United Arab Republic (1958-1961): A political union between Egypt and Syria, created to promote pan-Arab unity but dissolved due to political differences.
- Central American Republic (1823-1841): A federation of Central American states, including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, which disbanded due to civil wars and regional tensions.
- Senegambia Confederation (1982-1989): A confederation between Senegal and The Gambia aimed at integration but dissolved due to political and economic conflicts.
- Colonial Political Unions, such as:
- Union of South Africa (1910-1961): A political union of former British colonies, including the Cape Colony and the Natal Colony, which later transitioned into the Republic of South Africa.
- Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953-1963): A political union of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland, dissolved due to growing nationalist movements.
- Dominion of Canada (1867-present): A political union of British North American colonies that evolved into a federal state under the British North America Act.
- Historic Political Unions, such as:
- Counter-Example(s):
- Confederations, where member states retain most of their sovereignty and the central government has limited authority, as seen in the Articles of Confederation.
- Unitary States, where the central government exercises complete control and the regions or provinces have little to no independent authority.
- Personal Unions, such as the Union of the Crowns in 1603, where two states share a monarch but maintain separate governments.
- Empires, such as the Roman Empire or the British Empire, where control is exerted over diverse territories, but integration is not a mutual decision among equal partners.
- Protectorates, where one state governs another territory without its full integration into a political union.
- See: Confederation, Federation, Supranational Union, Unitary State, Federal State, Personal Union, Union of the Crowns, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Austro-Hungarian Empire, European Union, Federation, Polity, Administrative Subdivision, Federated State, Federal Territories, Federation#Federal Governments, Prefecture, Regions of France, Province, Centralised Government, Cession, Trade Union.
References
2024
- (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/political_union Retrieved:2024-10-4.
- A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal government; and prefectures, regions, or provinces in the case of a centralised government. This form of government may be created through voluntary and mutual cession and is described as unionismby its constituent members and proponents. In other cases, it may arise from political unification, characterised by coercion and conquest. The unification of separate states which, in the past, had together constituted a single entity is known as reunification. Unlike a personal union or real union, the individual constituent entities may have devolution of powers but are subordinate to a central government or coordinated in some sort of organization. In a federalised system, the constituent entities usually have internal autonomy, for example in the setup of police departments, and share power with the federal government, for whom external sovereignty, military forces, and foreign affairs are usually reserved. The union is recognised internationally as a single political entity. A political union may also be called a legislative union or state union.
A union may be effected in many forms, broadly categorized as:
- Incorporating union
- Incorporating annexation
- Federal union
- Federative annexation
- Mixed unions
- A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal government; and prefectures, regions, or provinces in the case of a centralised government. This form of government may be created through voluntary and mutual cession and is described as unionismby its constituent members and proponents. In other cases, it may arise from political unification, characterised by coercion and conquest. The unification of separate states which, in the past, had together constituted a single entity is known as reunification. Unlike a personal union or real union, the individual constituent entities may have devolution of powers but are subordinate to a central government or coordinated in some sort of organization. In a federalised system, the constituent entities usually have internal autonomy, for example in the setup of police departments, and share power with the federal government, for whom external sovereignty, military forces, and foreign affairs are usually reserved. The union is recognised internationally as a single political entity. A political union may also be called a legislative union or state union.