Nepal, April 17 -- If federalism fails to address the aspirations of the voters, the call for a return to a Hindu state and monarchy could be stronger in days to come

The question arises, do federal or unitary systems promote better social, political and economic outcomes? Within three broad policy areas-political development, economic development, and human development-operationalized across other governance indicators, the general public expects better outcomes from the state, whether it operates under a unitary or federal system.

Modern federalism is a political system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national, provincial and local governments. Many countries have adopted fed...