Asymmetric federalism
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Asymmetric federalism is found in a federation in which different constituent states possess different powers. This is in contrast to a symmetric federation, where no distinction is made between constituent states.
[edit] United States
As far as the fifty proper states are concerned, the United States is a symmetric federation, where every state has the same powers. However, the U.S. has a number of insular areas directly under the control of the U. S. federal government, with various degrees of autonomy. The District of Columbia is not an insular area, but it is also directly controlled by the federal government with limited autonomy.
[edit] Canada
The Constitution of Canada is broadly symmetric but contains certain specific sections that apply only to certain provinces. In practice, a degree of asymmetry is created as a result of the evolution of the Canadian federal experiment, individual federal-provincial agreements, and judicial interpretation. For example, tax collection is often a federal responsibility but in Québec both the federal and Québec governments retain the ability to collect both corporate, personal and sales taxes. In some other provinces, provincial governments collect only sales or corporate taxes.
A recent example of asymmetry in the Canadian federation can be found in the terms of the September 2004 federal-provincial-territorial agreement on health care and the financing thereof [1]. The Government of Quebec supported the broader agreement but insisted on a separate communique [2] in which it was specified, among other things, that Quebec will apply its own wait time reduction plan, in accordance with the objectives, standards and criteria established by the relevant Quebec authorities; that the Government of Quebec will report to Quebecers on progress in achieving its objectives, and will use comparable indicators, mutually agreed to with other governments; and that funding made available by the Government of Canada will be used by the Government of Quebec to implement its own plan for renewing Quebec's health system.
[edit] Unitary states
Although they are not properly federations, many unitary states with devolved self-governing regions have a structure of government that resembles that found in an asymmetric federation.
- In the United Kingdom England has no self-government and is ruled directly by the British Parliament but Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have varying degrees of autonomy.
- In Spain, the autonomous communities of Navarre, Catalonia and the Basque Country enjoy more independence than the other communities, out of respect for nationalist sentiment and rights these regions have enjoyed historically.
