Concept in Definition ABC

The term centralism designates that doctrine that promotes the centralization of functions and powers as a leitmotif. Basically, centralism consists of a system of state organization in which the decisions of government are unique and emanate from the same center, that is, without taking into account when deciding on them, the different cultures or peoples on which it influences.

Those regions, countries, communities, territories in which this type of system is developed, when it comes to political decisions, will always be taken from the central government.

Although centralism has been a model of government that has observed a very long tradition, both in Latin American countries and in some European countries, such as France, in the Nowadays and almost since the beginning of the century, the system has been strongly resented, encountering decline in several Latin American nations, being able to survive almost exclusively in France.

One of the fundamental characteristics of this form of government is that the central government assumes the competences before those federated states

and among the main causes of this situation can be counted the following: the needs of the states to provide services of all kinds to their citizens, and that it is something that economically to the federal states is complicated when it comes to having to comply with them and satisfy them conveniently by themselves alone. The need to investments that require obtaining a considerable number of resources, economic and human materials, that in any territory federated would be practically impossible to achieve without first not collapsing. And the need for yes or whether to have to perform a planning central to organize more coherently and efficiently.

Meanwhile, two types of centralism can be distinguished. Pure centralism It will be the one in which the exercise of the powers of the central body is carried out exclusively and totally. And on the other hand, the decentralized centralism, which will be the one in which everything is based on the decision of an administrative body or a person.

One of the best known forms of centralism is the so-called democratic centralism, which is the model of organization and functioning observed by the organizations and Marxist-Leninist parties. The combination of centralism and democracy power the discipline conscious and voluntary sacrifice of freedom in pursuit of achieving maximum organizational efficiency and administration. In this, both decisions and discussions will flow from the bottom up and vice versa.

Topics in Centralism