A centralized government is a political system where decision-making authority is concentrated in a single central authority. This means that most of the power and control over laws, policies, and administration is held by a national government rather than being distributed among local or regional governments. In a centralized system, local governments may have limited powers and often must follow the directives set by the central authority. Examples of countries with centralized governments include France and China, where the national government plays a dominant role in governance and policy implementation.