A confederal system of government is a type of political organization where several states or regions come together to form a union, but each state retains its sovereignty and independence. In this system, the central government has limited powers, and the majority of authority rests with the individual states.
In a confederation, the central government is usually created by the states to handle specific tasks such as defense, foreign policy, or economic coordination. However, the states have the power to withdraw from the union if they choose to do so. This makes the central government relatively weak compared to the states.
Examples of confederal systems include the European Union (EU) and the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. In these systems, the member states have significant autonomy and the central authority is designed to serve the collective interests of the states rather than to govern them.
Confederal systems are often contrasted with federal systems, where the central government has more power and the states or regions have less autonomy. In a federal system, the central government can make decisions that directly affect the states, whereas in a confederal system, the states have the final say in most matters.