Question

What is a Confederation?

Answer 1

A Confederation is an association of independent and sovereign states that voluntarily come together for certain limited and common objectives such as defense, foreign affairs, or economic cooperation. In this system, the central authority is very weak and holds only those powers that the member states agree to delegate. The actual sovereignty remains with the individual member states, and they retain the right to make their own laws and policies. The central body functions mainly as a coordinating agency rather than a ruling authority. Importantly, since the union is based on mutual agreement, member states can choose to withdraw from the confederation at any time. A notable historical example of a confederation is the United States under the Articles of Confederation before 1789. The European Union also displays some characteristics of a confederation.