Editing Federalism (section)

== In anarchism ==
{{See also|Libertarian socialist decentralization}}
In [[anarchism]], federalism is a [[horizontalidad|horizontalist]] and [[decentralization|decentralized]] organizational doctrine which holds that society should be built from the bottom-up, from the periphery to the centre. Higher-order units are merely the [[direct democracy|direct expression]] of lower-order units delegating, combining and coordinating. Though there is no central government or administration, higher-order [[committees]] and [[councils]], composed of delegates from federal constituencies, may convene under a [[popular sovereignty|popular, revocable mandate]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=al-Rashid |first=Daniel |date=1 July 2020 |title=What do anarchists mean by 'federalism'? |url=https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/daniel-al-rashid-what-do-anarchists-mean-by-federalism |access-date= |website=The Anarchist Library |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kinna |first1=Ruth |last2=Prichard |first2=Alex |last3=Swann |first3=Thomas |date=13 June 2019 |title=Occupy and the constitution of anarchy |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-constitutionalism/article/occupy-and-the-constitution-of-anarchy/BBE87B0A645A385397927D0BA8C6FAC4 |journal=Global Constitutionalism|volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=357–390 |doi=10.1017/S204538171900008X |hdl=10871/35870 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Embracing the principle of [[free association of producers|free]] and [[voluntary association|voluntary]] association as the basis of a federal society, constituent entities of an anarchist federation are ideally autonomous and self-determining, collaborating equally, freely and mutually within the federation through the values of [[solidarity]] and [[autonomy]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitman |first=W. J. |date=21 February 2023 |title=Anarcho-Distributism and Anarchist Federalism |url=https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/w-j-whitman-anarcho-distributism-and-anarchist-federalism |website=The Anarchist Library |language=en}}</ref>

Unlike a [[republic|republican]] federation, federalism, in anarchy, is not simply a form of [[political division]] or [[devolution]], but rather, federative principles apply to all aspects of society, including [[social relations]] and the [[economy]]. Consequently, anarchist federalism, promoting widespread, [[common ownership]] over the [[means of production]], detests the [[wealth inequality|centralized and unequal]] nature of [[capitalism]], and the hierarchy of its [[corporation|companies and corporations]]: an anarchist federalist society would envisage widespread, federalized [[wealth distribution]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Colin |date=October 2004 |title=The federalist agenda |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/427/chapter-abstract/135222469 |website=Oxford Academic |language=en}}</ref>

Comparing republican and anarchist federalism, [[James Guillaume]] states that [[Switzerland]]'s federative [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantonal system]], despite its [[direct democracy]], differs significantly from anarchist federalism: while Swiss federalism retains a state and provides only limited regional sovereignty, anarchist federalism as envisioned by [[Pierre-Joseph Proudhon]] is stateless, providing every autonomy with absolute sovereignty and distinct individuality. The [[Swiss constitution]], in its support of [[wikt:indivisibility|indivisibility]] and [[nationhood]] and its view that its cantons are mere territorial divisions rather than sovereign constituencies, is incompatible with anarchist federalism and its principles of [[free association of producers|free association]], [[decentralization]] and [[autonomy]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Proudhon |first=Pierre-Joseph |date=1863 |title=The Federative Principle |url=https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/pierre-joseph-proudhon-the-principle-of-federation |website=The Anarchist Library |language=en}}</ref>

Anarchist federalism is a rejection of the [[statism]] and [[nationalism]] present in modern federations, and instead provides an alternative system of federative organization founded on stateless [[individuality]] and [[autonomy]]. For anarchists, [[republic|republican]] federalism is as oppressive as a [[centralization|centralized, unitary state]], for all it is perceived to accomplish is delegate and transfer the perceived oppression of a [[State (polity)|state]] to [[Localism (politics)|local levels and jurisdictions]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=José |first1=Gutiérrez |last2=Kinna |first2=Ruth |date=28 October 2022 |title=Anarchism and the national question |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nana.12891 |journal=Nations and Nationalism |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=121–130 |doi=10.1111/nana.12891 |language=en}}</ref>