I posted this before the quiz was published so I'll post it again:
A federation has two key features separating it from a unitary state -
1. Units within the country have powers distinct from the central, national government and
2. Those powers are constitutionally protected (the central government can't take them away)
For example, the US is federalist because each state has certain powers for self-governance that the national government can't touch, while the UK is not because although Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have certain devolved powers, these are granted by the central government and can legally be overridden or revoked by the UK Parliament like they did in the 1970's with Northern Ireland (if they did again it would probably lead to popular revolt, but legally they can) |