federates

Federates are the member units or participants in a federation. In political science, a federation is a union of partially self-governing states, provinces, or regions that share sovereignty with a central government. Federates retain authority over many domestic matters, while the federal government handles national functions such as defense, currency, foreign policy, and interstate commerce. The precise division of powers is set out in a constitution or charter and can vary from one federation to another. Federations are designed to balance the benefits of unity with regional autonomy; federating units cooperate through formal institutions, law, and policy coordination, while preserving their own legislative bodies and courts.

A federation differs from a confederation, where central authority derives its powers from the member states and is typically weaker. Federates are bound together by the federation's constitution, treaty, or agreement, with representation at the federal level through elected bodies, courts, or executive councils.

Examples of federations include the United States, Germany, Canada, Australia, and India, where states or provinces participate as federates within a larger federal structure. The term can also apply in information technology and other domains, where "federates" describe independent organizations that choose to participate in a federated system or identity federation, agreeing to common standards and trust relationships to enable cross-domain collaboration.

In short, federates are the component entities that collectively form a federation, each contributing to and constrained by the shared constitutional or operational framework.