federalism

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰós Proto-Italic *feiðos Latin foedusder. French fédéral Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)der. Latin -ismusbor. French -isme French fédéralisme English federalism From French fédéralisme. By surface analysis, federal + -ism.

1. A system of national government in which power is divided between a central authority and a number of regions with delimited self-governing authority.

   “Where consociationalism and federalism overlay one another, moreover, the continuity of the latter depends on the stability of consociationalism.”

2. The belief that such a system is superior to other forms of government.
3. Covenantalism.