Confederacys

Confederacys is not a standard term in political science. In most texts, the plural is Confederacies, and the word may be encountered as a misspelling or as a stylized name in fiction or organizational titles. When used in general discussion, it may refer to multiple confederations or to the concept of a confederation as a form of political association.

A confederation is a union of sovereign states or entities that cooperate on specific matters while retaining most of their independence. In a confederation, the central authority is typically limited in scope and derives its powers from the member states, often with decisions requiring consensus or consent from the states rather than a centralized, coercive government. Common areas of cooperation include defense, foreign policy, trade, and regulatory coordination.

Confederal arrangements are contrasted with federations. In federations, sovereignty is more decisively shared with a central government that has constitutional authority over both the states and the union as a whole. In confederations, the central authority is weaker and depends on the ongoing agreement of member states; the union may dissolve if members withdraw or wither their support.

Notable historical examples commonly cited in discussions of confederations include the Confederate States of America (1861–1865) during the American Civil War, the Swiss Confederation before its federal constitution in 1848, and the German Confederation (1815–1866). In modern discourse, scholars sometimes describe certain regional blocs or treaty-based arrangements as confederal or as confederalist experiments, particularly when central authority remains limited.

Etymology: confederation derives from Latin confoederatio, meaning a league or pact among states. The standard plural is Confederacies; Confederacys is nonstandard and generally avoided in formal writing.