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While the majority of countries in the European Union are not federation of states, there is several that have exactly that structure: Austria, Belgium, Germany
by petschge 7y ago
While the majority of countries in the European Union are not federation of states, there is several that have exactly that structure: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France and the Netherlands. Austria, Germany, Finland and France being republics, the other ones with a (ceremonial) monarch as head of state.
- bhupy 7y agoSure, and the majority of States in the US are themselves federations of yet smaller administrative subdivisions. 49 out of 50 US States have bicameral legislatures. The point still stands, the US looks less like Austria or Germany or Denmark, and more like the EU, as a whole.
- petschge 7y agoI always assumed all 50 states were that way. Based on your comment I found that Nebraska is the exception. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Legislature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Legislature
- learc83 7y agoBicameral legislatures don't imply federalism. In my state and the ones around me, the upper house members don't represent counties, just slightly larger districts than the lower house.
- bhupy 7y agoYou're right, my point was more that there exists some states that look like Austria/Germany, and some states that look like Denmark. The existence of a bicameral legislature was more a reference to the self-governing nature of the states (which have executive branches, constitutions, and judiciaries). Which is all to say: the US is more similar to the EU than it is to any one of its individual member states.
- rayiner 7y agoIt’s still quite different. In the Bundesrat for example, more populous states have more votes. And unlike in the US, all legislation does not require involvement of the Bundesrat.