Which of the following is considered a major advantage of a unitary system of government when compared with a federal system?

Introduction / Context:
Systems of government can be broadly classified as unitary or federal. In a unitary system, all legal authority ultimately flows from the central or national government. In a federal system, powers are constitutionally divided between the central authority and regional units such as states or provinces. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each model is crucial in political science and comparative government. This question focuses on identifying a key advantage of the unitary system.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question contrasts a unitary system of government with a federal system.
- Options mention stronger central authority, participation of people, safeguards against authoritarianism, constitutional flexibility and provincial autonomy.
- We assume general textbook definitions where in a unitary system the central government holds most powers and local units derive their authority from it.
- The key term to focus on is advantage, not disadvantage.

Concept / Approach:
In a unitary system of government, the central authority retains supreme power and may create or abolish subordinate units. This often leads to a strong, unified state with uniform laws and policies across the territory. The main advantage is that decision making can be quicker and more coherent because there are no constitutionally entrenched competing centres of power. In contrast, federal systems value regional autonomy and participation but sometimes suffer from conflicts between central and state authorities. Therefore, we must choose the option that highlights strong central authority and unity as the selling point of a unitary system.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that in a unitary system, the central government is supreme and local bodies exist at its pleasure.Step 2: Identify which of the options reflect this feature of strong central control and uniformity.Step 3: Option B explicitly mentions strong state or strong central authority and a unified state, which aligns with the unitary model.Step 4: Recognise that other options such as greater participation, safeguards against authoritarianism and greater provincial autonomy are more characteristic of federal or decentralised systems.Step 5: Select option B as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider examples of classical unitary states such as the United Kingdom or France, where Parliament or the central legislature is legally supreme. These states often emphasise national unity and central control over key policy areas. Textbooks describe their strengths as administrative efficiency and uniformity in law, which are direct consequences of a strong central authority. This reinforces that the major advantage of a unitary system is indeed a strong, unified state under central control.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Greater flexibility and adaptability of the constitution (option A) can be a property of both unitary and federal systems and is more linked to amendment procedures than to the unitary principle itself. Greater participation of people in local government (option C) is generally associated with decentralisation and federalism, not with the centralised structure of a unitary state. Stronger safeguards against authoritarian tendencies (option D) are more likely in systems with checks and balances between different levels of government, again more typical of federalism. Greater autonomy for provincial governments (option E) is a hallmark of federal structures and directly contradicts the centralising tendency of unitary systems.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes think that any positive sounding feature such as participation or protection against authoritarianism must be an advantage of every system. However, unitary and federal systems have different strengths. In exams, it is important to focus on the distinctive characteristic of each model. For the unitary system, that key characteristic is centralised authority and uniformity, which may improve administrative efficiency but also has its own drawbacks that are not part of this question.

Final Answer:
Strong central authority and a unified state is a major advantage of the unitary system of government when compared with a federal structure.