PH Debate Analysis

An Overview on Federalism Through the PH Debate Context The problem with concepts in political science like federalism is it’s taken for granted. When advocates and critics debate the pros and cons of federalism in the country, it seems as if it’s a single and straightforward issue and idea, devoid of nuances. The need for clarification and understanding of the concept is important to raise the level of its discussion in our society.

Paleker provided a conceptual analysis of federalism by delineating and integrating three theories seeking to explain it (309). The first theory called classical theory explains a legalistic point of view. It forwards a law-like definition by classifying conditions that must fit the federalism criteria (304).

Obtaining his Oxford DPhil in Politics by focusing on the subject, he proceeded with an analysis of the works of political scientists specializing in federalism who have extensively written on the subject starting from Wheare in 1946 up to Watts in 2008. Consequently, he proposed his own definition of federalism as a political system wherein the government’s constituent units are of “equal status” (112). Meaning, each level of government is independent and not subordinate to the other even if they cooperate. Hence, they are equal. This in contrast with the unitary system where the national government has a higher authority than the local government units (Licos 2-3). His conceptual clarification presented a valuable insight on the intrinsic equality of each level, which captures the essence of federalism.

Integrating the preceding discussions on the definition of federalism, we define it as a political system where two equal and autonomous levels of government share sovereignty and power over the same piece of territory (Licos 2-3). Note that we interchange national government as the central or federal government and the regional government as

So, when talking about the federalist shift issue in the Philippines, we’re not only talking about federalism per se, but necessarily of these two other rules. Knowledge about federalism can be complemented by a least a basic understanding of these to better appreciate the value of our political system. With the status of the issue in the country (Licos), in the Philippine debate context, the concept of federalism, aside from its own definition and features, is tangled with our constitutional rules that must also be considered if we are to progress into a more meaningful and substantial discussion of federalism in the