The Federal structure of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th - 18th centuries

ENLooking at the structure of the Commonwealth from the perspective of European understanding of federal state model we can say that it was really a classical federal state. Reforms implemented in the second part of the 18th century did not significantly change the structure of this country. Sejm decisions strengthened this model of the state. Federal and decentralized structure of this country was still unique in comparison with all absolutistic models existing in continental Europe. Even the English model of state at the time was much more centralized, and less federal and democratic than the Polish-Lithuanian one. After partitions of this country by the three most brutal, aggressive and absolutistic regimes in Europe (Prussian, Austrian and Russian) in the end of the 18th century the same direction of shaping of the state institutions was chosen by the Americans. Although at the time the United States had a smaller territory, and only 25% of the population of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they quickly created a federal structure capable of functioning on great territory and with great population. This American federal model is very close to the former Polish-Lithuanian state.