Discuss various routes of the federalism …

Following are the two routes through which federations can be formed:

1. The first route involves independent States coming together voluntarily to form a bigger unit. This way, by pooling in their sovereignty and resources, they tend to safeguard their security. Examples of this type of federations can be seen in USA, Switzerland and Australia where the constituent States have equal power vis-à-vis the federal government. this type of federations are called 'coming together' federations.
2. Another route is where a large country divides its power between the constituent States and the central government of the country. In this kind of a system, the federal government tends to have more authority than the States. Many a times, different constituent units have unequal powers; some are even granted special powers considering their unique status in the federation. This kind of federations is known are known as 'holding together' federations. Examples of this sort of federation can be seen in India, Belgium and Spain.