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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 10 Citizenship unit 5: Federalism in Ethiopia

Everything here is for unit 5 of the Grade 10 Citizenship textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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3
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 5
111–137
The textbook pages for unit 5

What unit 5 covers

  1. 1.The meaning of federalism
  2. 2.Types of federalism
  3. 3.Key features of federalism
  4. 4.Division of power
  5. 5.Decentralized system of government
  6. 6.Written and Supreme federal constitution
  7. 7.Rigid constitution
  8. 8.Advantage and disadvantage of federalism
  9. 9.Advantages of federalism
  10. 10.Disadvantages of federalism
  11. 11.The roles of federalism in accommodating diversity in Ethiopia
  12. 12.The features of Ethiopian federalism
  13. 13.Challenges to Ethiopian federalism

Short notes for unit 5

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 10 Citizenship page. Open one at a time.

CountryOrgan Empowered with Constitutional Interpretation
EthiopiaHouse of Federation
USA and IndiaSupreme Court and regular judiciary
GermanySpecial constitutional court
SwitzerlandFederal tribunal and the people

When you use it

Use when comparing which institution holds the constitutional interpretation power across different federal states.

Watch out

In Ethiopia, constitutional interpretation belongs to the House of Federation, not the Supreme Court or regular judiciary.

Drafted from Grade 10 Citizenship Education, pages 111-137, then checked twice before it went up

FeatureDual FederalismCooperative Federalism
MetaphorLayer cakeMarble cake
AuthorityClearly separated jurisdictionsShared and overlapping functions
Intergovernmental relationsTension and lower cooperationCollaboration to solve common problems
State power impactProtects local powers from overreachRisk of federal policy intervention

When you use it

Use to compare the two main models of federal power execution and intergovernmental relations.

Watch out

Do not confuse the layer cake metaphor with cooperative federalism. Dual federalism is layer cake, while cooperative federalism is marble cake.

Drafted from Grade 10 Citizenship Education, pages 111-137, then checked twice before it went up

Provisions to AmendFederal Houses RequirementRegional States Requirement
Fundamental rights and freedoms or amendment procedureTwo-thirds majority in each federal house separatelyMajority vote in all state councils
All other constitutional provisionsTwo-thirds majority in a joint session of both federal housesTwo-thirds majority vote of state councils

When you use it

Use to state the voting thresholds required by regional states and federal houses to amend different parts of the Ethiopian constitution.

Watch out

Fundamental rights need approval from all states, whereas other provisions only require a two-thirds majority of states.

Drafted from Grade 10 Citizenship Education, pages 111-137, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 5

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

According to the textbook, federalism is defined as a system that combines which two key elements?

  1. A.Shared rule and regional self rule
  2. B.Absolute central rule and local obedience
  3. C.Military rule and traditional customs
  4. D.Direct democracy and international control
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Shared rule and regional self rule

Why

Federalism combines shared rule at the central level with self rule for regional constituent units.

Question 2

Which type of federalism is informally known as Layer Cake Federalism?

  1. A.Cooperative federalism
  2. B.Dual federalism
  3. C.Executive federalism
  4. D.Centralized federalism
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Dual federalism

Why

Dual federalism clearly divides authority between state and national governments, and is often called Layer Cake Federalism.

Question 3

Under the FDRE Constitution, which organ is granted the power to interpret the constitution?

  1. A.The Federal Supreme Court
  2. B.The House of Federation
  3. C.The Prime Minister
  4. D.The House of Peoples Representatives
Show the answer and why

Answer: B The House of Federation

Why

In Ethiopia, the House of Federation is empowered to interpret the constitution, unlike in countries where courts perform this role.

Question 4

Which article of the FDRE Constitution grants the right to self determination to nations, nationalities, and peoples?

  1. A.Article 39
  2. B.Article 50
  3. C.Article 51
  4. D.Article 55
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Article 39

Why

Article 39 of the FDRE Constitution provides the right to self determination, including self government, language, and cultural preservation.

Question 5

How do constituent regional states in a federation differ from local governments in a decentralized unitary system?

  1. A.Regional states derive their authority directly from the constitution and cannot be abolished unilaterally by the center.
  2. B.Regional states are created solely by ordinary statutes passed by the central parliament.
  3. C.Regional states possess only executive authority with no legislative power.
  4. D.Regional states can be revoked at any time at the unilateral discretion of the central government.
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Regional states derive their authority directly from the constitution and cannot be abolished unilaterally by the center.

Why

In a federation, power division is constitutionally guaranteed and states derive their authority from the constitution, whereas decentralized local units in a unitary state are mere statutory creations of the center.

Question 6

What is a major feature of cooperative federalism (marble cake federalism)?

  1. A.Complete separation of state and national government responsibilities
  2. B.Collaboration and power sharing between levels of government to solve common problems
  3. C.Elimination of regional state governments completely
  4. D.Total subordination of the national government to regional states
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Collaboration and power sharing between levels of government to solve common problems

Why

Cooperative federalism requires national, state, and local governments to interact cooperatively and share overlapping responsibilities to solve common problems.

Question 7

Which of the following is listed in the textbook as a disadvantage of federalism?

  1. A.Complete protection against runaway power and tyranny
  2. B.Greater citizen participation at grass root levels
  3. C.Inequalities between states in areas such as education funding and welfare
  4. D.Better handling of local demands by regional leaders
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Inequalities between states in areas such as education funding and welfare

Why

Because states determine their own spending and policies, disparities and regional inequalities in services like education and health can develop between different states.

Question 8

According to the textbook, how are residuary powers distributed in the United States compared to Canada?

  1. A.In the US they belong to the states, while in Canada they belong to the federal authority.
  2. B.In the US they belong to the federal authority, while in Canada they belong to the provinces.
  3. C.Both countries assign residuary powers exclusively to local cities.
  4. D.Both countries divide residuary powers through annual public referendums.
Show the answer and why

Answer: A In the US they belong to the states, while in Canada they belong to the federal authority.

Why

The US constitution lists federal powers and leaves the remainder (residuary powers) to the states, whereas Canada lists provincial powers and leaves the remainder to the federal authority.

Question 9

What is required to amend the provisions governing fundamental rights and freedoms under the FDRE Constitution?

  1. A.A simple majority vote in the House of Peoples Representatives only
  2. B.A two thirds majority vote in a joint session of both federal houses only
  3. C.Approval by a majority vote in all state councils and a two thirds majority vote in each federal house
  4. D.A unanimous vote in the House of Federation alone
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Approval by a majority vote in all state councils and a two thirds majority vote in each federal house

Why

The textbook notes that fundamental rights and amendment procedures require approval by a majority vote in all regional states and a two thirds majority in each of the two federal houses.

Question 10

According to the textbook, how is constitutional interpretation handled in Switzerland?

  1. A.It is divided between the federal tribunal and the people.
  2. B.It is assigned exclusively to a special constitutional court.
  3. C.It is handled solely by the House of Federation.
  4. D.It is decided solely by the Supreme Court.
Show the answer and why

Answer: A It is divided between the federal tribunal and the people.

Why

The textbook states that in Switzerland, constitutional interpretation is divided between the federal tribunal and the people.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 5

Unit 5 runs from page 111 to page 137 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 222 pages

Download the PDF

All Grade 10 Citizenship short notes

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