Our Federal Republic.—­It has been emphasized in the course of our study that the States are important parts in the political system which we call the Republic of the United States.  The States are not mere administrative divisions of the nation; they do not stand in the same relation to the National government that counties bear to the State.  They do not derive their powers from the National government; nor, on the other hand, does the latter derive its powers from the States.  The source of power for both is the same—­“the people themselves, as an organized body politic.”  The United States is, then, a Federal Republic.  It is essential to understand that, in the division of powers between States and nation, the latter is sovereign over the matters that are placed within its jurisdiction; but it is a feature of our system no less essential (though less clearly understood by the people) that the States are as completely sovereign over matters that lie within their control.

France a Centralized Republic.—­In France we find an entirely different type of republic—­not federal, but centralized.  France is divided into eighty-six departments, which correspond in some respects to our States.  But in their relation to the central government the difference is very striking; for the departments are merely administrative divisions of the central government.  They are completely subject to the national government.  The chief authority in each department is a prefect, who is appointed by the ministry of France (the central executive body) and is responsible to it.  There is a legislative body in each department, called the general council, but the powers of this body are very much restricted.

The national government of France exercises legislative authority upon many subjects in the departments, and it administers the laws directly.  Consequently, the people’s powers of local self-government are very much less extensive than those enjoyed by the people in the United States.  There result in France much greater uniformity of legislation and more effective administration; while in many parts of the United States local self-government results in corrupt laws and wasteful administration.  But we believe that the people will become educated in the use of political power if the responsibility for its use rests upon them, rather than upon some central authority.

The Swiss Republic.—­An example of a federal republic is the government of Switzerland.  Here the cantons correspond to our States, and each canton has control over its own local affairs, without interference from the federal government.  The chief features of the French and the Swiss governments are indicated in the accompanying outline:[62]

[Footnote 62:  Among the South American republics, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentine Republic are federal in nature, like the United States and Switzerland.]

UNITED STATES SWITZERLAND FRANCE