Federal political system resolve the problem of premature dissolutions of government in

3. 
Literature Review 
This chapter discusses key concepts that are relevant to the analysis in the thesis 
as a whole. The first of these is federalism, because the key factor of equal 
representation (in the sense used in this thesis) derived from the US political system 
stems from federalism. The chapter then moves on to discuss the key factors that 
are selected for the analysis in Chapter 3. It then discusses the doctrine of state 
necessity which forms a significant part of the analysis in Chapter 3, and finally, 
concludes with a discussion of the concept of state structure to lay the foundation 
for the structural comparative analysis in Chapter 5. 
3.1 Federalism 
The test employed in the first part of this thesis is, however, not one of federalism 
alone but one of democratic federalism. Democracy is a wide term which advocates 
rule of the majority or one man one vote. The researcher argues that in a federal 
arrangement this rule of majority manifests in a two dimensional paradigm. The 
first dimension is the rule of the majority relating to people of the entire polity (i.e. 
a democratic concept) and the second dimension relates to its federal character, i.e., 
the same people but classified as a sub unit or federating unit. Federalism and 
democracy therefore go side by side in a balanced manner in a democratic federal 
state. In this two-dimensional paradigm, in the first dimension, units with a larger 
population take advantage and in the second dimension the advantage of the first 
dimension is balanced by equal seat allocation of units regardless of their size or 
population. If this equation is not balanced, the disparity of representation 
discussed at 3.2 is a likely result. 
Consequently, the concept of federalism is significant for this thesis as the key 
factor of "equal representation" in the sense described below is a specifically federal 
concept.
Federalism is an agreement to form a union providing for distribution of political 
powers on the territorial basis under some kind of charter, compromise or 

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constitution.
82
In federalism, the powers and functions of the government are 
divided by a constitution between the central government and its federating units.
83
Sovereignty in a federal system is surrendered by the federating units to form a 
common sovereignty which can then be shared by them equally.
84
An important 
feature that differentiates federalism from other arrangements is the preservation 
of the identity of people and the autonomy of the federating units. Livingstone notes 
that a federal government is a form of political and constitutional organisation that 
unites into a single polity a number of diversified groups or components of politics, 
so that the personality and individuality of the components are legally preserved, 
while created, in the new totality, as separate and distinct political constitutional 
units.
85
Several semi-autonomous federating units were united for a common purpose, i.e. 
to acquire independence from British colonial rule.
86
The circumstances behind 
forming the federations of the USA and of Pakistan are set out in detail in Chapter 
4. In this section therefore, it is important to explore the philosophical reasoning 
behind the concept of federalism. It is argued that there are certain implied 
conditions that have to be met before forming a federation, the most important of 
which is the willingness to form a community. This spirit of community, as Dicey 
puts it, could be produced when these federating units have points of commonality 
amongst them.
87
Alongside such commonality, the federal system must be designed 
in a way that the forming units can retain their individual regional identity and 
exercise some autonomy to shield the union from becoming a unitary state. 
According to Dicey, a federation is:
'a body of countries so closely connected by history, by race, or the 
like, as to be capable of bearing in the eyes of their inhabitants an 
impression of common nationality, a very peculiar state of sentiments 
82
Carl J Friedrich, 'Constitutional Government and Democracy: Theory and Practice in Europe and 
America' (1941) World Constitutions Illustrated 187.
83
Roger Hilsman, To Govern America (Harry & Row 1979) 52.
84
James Q Wilson Jr et al, 'The American System' in American Government: Institutions and Policies 
(Wadsworth 2013) 58
85
William S Livingston, 'A Note on the Nature of Federalism' (1952) 67(1) Political Science Quarterly 
81, 83.
86
For example, the USA, India and Pakistan. 
87
Albert V. Dicey, Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution (Roger E. Michener ed, 6th 
edn, Macmillan & Co 2005) 144.

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28 
among the inhabitants of countries which it purposes to unite. They 
must desire union and must not desire unity'.
88
In situations where there are wide differences among the individuals in terms of, for 
example, their political identity, culture, religion, or language, the unitary system 
becomes less effective. According to Ebenstein, federalism is the best option for 
states with large territories and cultural diversities.
89
It is reasonable to assume 
therefore that a federal arrangement is the best possible model for a newly forming 
country (with diverse federating units) to adopt, especially in situations where a 
unitary system cannot be embraced.
In the case of Pakistan, there are five completely different ethnicities who all have 
completely different traditions, habitat, culture and language.
90
The issue of 
disparity in Pakistan remains unaddressed and present in its political. Pakistan has 
always been a polity of multiple geographic, economic and demographic variations. 
Khalid
observes attributes such as multiple geographic, economic and demographic 
variations in Pakistan.
91
Khalid rightly suggests that such attributes require special 
governance, for which her solution is a federal system.
92
She observes that 
federalism is a delicate compromise between unity and autonomy that requires 
political maturity.
93
She proposes equal representation of federating units in a 
federation where they surrender only a partial sovereignty and keep control of their 
local affairs.
94
She claims that in the absence of equal representation, a successful 
federation can never operate, and maintains her argument by referring to the 
dominance of Prussia in the downfall of the German Empire and relating it to the 
secession of East Pakistan in 1971.
95
Khalid may, however, have weakened her position by relying on Dicey's view since 
he supported parliamentary sovereignty,
96
which is to be contrasted with the 
doctrine of separation of powers, one of the factors in a democratic federal state. 
88
Albert V. Dicey, Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution (Roger E. Michener ed, 6th 
edn, Macmillan & Co 2005) 101. 
89
William Ebenstein et al, American Democracy in World Perspective (Harper & Row 1970) 60. 
90
From the researcher's personal knowledge: Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis, Bengalis and Punjabis. 
91
Iram Khalid, 'Politics of Federalism in Pakistan: Problems and Prospects' (2013) 28(1) A Research 
Journal of South Asian Studies 199 199 
92
ibid. 
93
ibid. 
94
ibid 200. 
95
ibid. 
96
Parliamentary sovereignty, parliamentary supremacy or legislative supremacy is a concept that the 
legislature has absolute sovereignty over all other institutions (executive or judiciary).

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29 
Nevertheless, her notion of Pakistan (being a federation) operating as a unitary 
system leads the researcher to deduce that Pakistan in principle fulfils the factors 
of democratic federalism in its structure but is operating a political system that is 
not a suitable one. Khalid rightly observes, therefore, that political instability in 
Pakistan is the result of a discrepancy between the theory and practice of the federal 
arrangements in the political system.
97