(a)A confederation is a loose political union, accommodating independent sovereign states, with the intention of coming together to co-operate in some vital areas, e. g . Communication, military, trade, etc., with each of them still retaining its sovereignty. The centre is weak, making the component states autonomous in the performance of political or other issues pertaining to them.
(b) Problems that are likely to arise in a Confederal State are:
(i) Weak Centre: The arrangement of a confederation makes for a weak centre that cannot effectively control the sovereign states that make up the union.
(ii) Problem of loyalty: Citizens will be more loyal to their state governments than the central body.
(iii) Secession: A confederal arrangement is fragile and can easily break up .
(iv) There is absence of national integration
(v) Problem of national unity: This is difficult to achieve because individual states still retain their separate identity.
(vi) The constitution: The constitution of a confederal state is assumed to be flexible because it can be amended without obtaining the overall support of the people that make up the confederation.
(vii) Global issues: A confederal state makes little or no impact on issues of global dimension.
(viii) It is Unpopular: Many sovereign states detest getting involved in such a political arrangement because of its unpopularity.