Co-operative Federalism

Co-operative federalism, in general terms, is a concept wherein the federal government, state government, and local government interact co-operatively and share their responsibilities in the governance.

It is also considered as a new form of federalism. This new concept is influenced by the factors which are given as follows:

• The emergence of the concept of welfare state, which is strongly based on the public opinion, has made the local units more dependent on the national governments for adequate resources.
• National decisions take precedence over the points of Centre-State division of powers when a war is urgently necessary for national survival.

It is necessary for the governments in a federation to coordinate among themselves with cooperation to promote the public welfare, which is the motto of majority governments nowadays.

The spirit of co-operative federalism in India is observed by following -

1. Distribution of Powers,
2. Supremacy of the Constitution,
3. A Written Constitution,
4. Rigidity and
5. Authority of Courts.