A centralized government is a system where power and decision-making authority are concentrated in one central location or authority figure rather than being dispersed among various regional or local authorities.
Related terms
Bureaucracy: A hierarchical organization composed of officials who administer policies on behalf of the central government.
Autocracy: A form of government where all power is held by one individual who has unlimited authority.
Dictatorship: A type of autocratic rule where one person holds absolute power usually acquired through force.