In Indian polity, the existence of more than one level of government in a country (for example, Union and State governments) is a key feature of which system of government?

Introduction / Context:
Political systems can be classified in many ways, including how power is shared between different levels of government. Some countries have a single central government, while others divide power between a national government and subnational governments such as States or provinces. This vertical division of authority is central to understanding federal systems. The question asks you to identify the term used in Indian polity to describe the existence of more than one level of government in a single country.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The key idea is the existence of more than one level of government, such as Union and State governments in India.
• The options provided are democracy, federalism, monarchy and bicameral.
• We assume standard textbook definitions of these terms.
• The task is to choose the term that directly relates to the vertical division of powers between levels of government.

Concept / Approach:
Federalism is a system of government in which power is constitutionally divided between a central (national) government and one or more levels of subnational governments (States, provinces, cantons, etc.), each of which has its own sphere of authority. India is often described as a quasi federal country because it has Union, State and sometimes local governments with constitutionally assigned powers. Democracy, on the other hand, refers to who rules (the people or their representatives), not to how power is divided geographically. Monarchy refers to rule by a king or queen, and bicameral refers to a legislature with two Houses. Therefore, the term that captures the existence of multiple levels of government is federalism.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key phrase in the question: "more than one level of government in the country."Step 2: Recall that federalism involves a constitutional division of powers between a national government and subnational units like States.Step 3: Note that terms like democracy, monarchy and bicameral describe other aspects of government (who rules, what form the head of State takes, whether there are one or two legislative chambers) rather than levels of government.Step 4: Match the idea of multiple levels of government with the concept of federalism.Step 5: Choose "federalism" as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Indian polity textbooks describe India as having a federal structure with a strong unitary bias. They explain that the Constitution provides for different lists of subjects—Union, State and Concurrent—over which different levels of government legislate. This is cited as evidence of federalism. The same books define democracy as government by the people, either directly or through representatives, and bicameralism as a system with two Houses of legislature. None of these terms other than federalism are tied specifically to the existence of multiple levels of government, confirming that federalism is the correct term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Democracy: This refers to rule by the people; a democracy can be unitary or federal.
• Monarchy: This denotes a system where a monarch (king or queen) is the head of State; it does not by itself imply more than one level of government.
• Bicameral: This describes a legislature with two Houses (for example, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), but says nothing about the division of power between central and State governments.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse structural features like federalism (levels of government) with democratic features (elections, fundamental rights) and with legislative features (unicameral vs bicameral). Another confusion is to equate federalism automatically with democracy, though a federal structure can exist in different types of regimes. To answer such questions correctly, focus on the specific aspect being tested: here it is the number of levels of government, which points clearly to federalism.

Final Answer:
The existence of more than one level of government in a country is a key feature of federalism.