Which type of government is characterized by powers being concentrated at the national level?

A unitary government is characterized by the centralization of power at the national level, where the central authority holds the majority of decision-making power and governance authority. In this system, any regional or local authorities exist primarily to implement the directives of the national government, rather than having autonomous powers. This structure allows for a uniform application of laws and policies throughout the country, facilitating efficient governance without the complexities that arise from more decentralized systems.

For instance, in a unitary system, the national government may delegate certain responsibilities to local governments, but it retains the right to revoke these powers or limit their scope. This creates a cohesive legal and administrative framework that can be beneficial for ensuring consistency and unity across various regions within the state.

In contrast, a federal government divides powers between a central authority and regional governments, thus allowing for a more distributed form of governance. A confederate government is more of a union of independent states that gives limited powers to a central authority, while an oligarchy dictates governance through a small group of individuals or families, which does not relate to the centralization of governmental powers in the same way as a unitary government does.