yksittäisvaltiot

Yksittäisvaltiot refers to a political concept describing states that are not federated or confederated. In such a system, the central government holds ultimate authority over the entire territory and its constituent regions. Power is not divided between a national government and regional governments as it is in federal states; instead, regional or local administrations derive their authority from the central government and can often be altered or abolished by it.

The unitary state is the most common form of yksittäisvaltiot. In a unitary state, all governmental power resides in a single, central agency. This central government may delegate some of its powers to local governments through legislation, but these delegated powers are not constitutionally protected and can be revoked. Examples of unitary states include France, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

In contrast, a federal state divides power between a central government and regional governments, with both levels of government having constitutionally guaranteed powers. A confederation is an even looser association of states where the regional governments retain more sovereignty than the central authority.

The debate between unitary and federal systems often centers on the balance of power between the central government and its constituent parts, and how best to ensure effective governance, national unity, and regional autonomy. Yksittäisvaltiot, by concentrating power centrally, can often act more decisively and uniformly across the nation, but may be perceived as less responsive to local needs or as potentially over-centralized.