The Dynamics of Federalism in National and Supranational Political Systems

Nation states around the globe are increasingly raising the 'federalism' card as a means of explaining their commitment to democracy, self-determination, and recognition of the rights of all peoples. Yet, the term federalism does not convey the same set of institutions, values and beliefs to all people at all times. This collection of essays is designed to help scholars and practitioners understand the fluid and dynamic nature of federalism, with particular emphasis on the federal system in the United States. The book is written to aid our understanding of the contemporary question 'which federalism?' This collection of essays is designed to help scholars and practitioners understand the fluid and dynamic nature of federalism, with particular emphasis on the federal system in the United States. The book is written to aid our understanding of the contemporary question 'which federalism?'. The established federal polities in the world have evolved over decades and centuries, through political upheavals and wars, through continual pressures that tug towards more centralization and then pull towards greater local autonomy, and through their capacity to morph and change to new circumstances and challenges. In response to internal demands and external forces, federal polities have adapted to these pressures by rewriting constitutions and laws, engaging in civil disobedience and violence, establishing fundamental human rights, revising fiscal systems, reconfiguring programmatic and service-delivery responsibilities, and in all other manner negotiating and bargaining in order to sustain the strengths of the federal system over time. Indeed, understanding how federal systems have adapted to changing environments over time and how they have adjusted to myriad challenges provide important insight into reform efforts in the political world today. This book highlights two important factors in understanding federal structures and the choices that polities might confront as they are challenged to re-adjust and re-align their political systems. One is the effects of the passage of time and historical events that condition the political, legal, fiscal and policy environment of federal systems; the other is time's related counterpart, change and federal systems' responses and adaptation to fluid political situations Front Matter....Pages i-xviii In the Eye of the Beholder: The Dynamics of Federalism in National and Supranational Political Systems....Pages 1-18 Front Matter....Pages 19-19 Overview and Introduction....Pages 21-26 Types of Federalism: Achieving Self-Governing Capabilities in Societies with Federal Potentials....Pages 27-54 “Thinking Federally” from a Governance Perspective....Pages 55-85 Social Forces, Space and Boundaries....Pages 86-100 Front Matter....Pages 101-101 Overview and Introduction....Pages 103-106 Wealth and Tax Systems....Pages 107-135 Local Government Own-source Revenues and Debt Financing: Structure and Stress....Pages 136-165 Fiscal Federalism and Intergovernmental Revenues in the US....Pages 167-197 Front Matter....Pages 199-199 Overview and Introduction....Pages 201-204 Dividing the Job Revisited: Learning from the United States Case 1789–2006....Pages 205-222 Efficient and Equitable Service Delivery in a Federal System....Pages 223-247 Intergovernmental Policy Management: Cooperative Practices in Federal Systems....Pages 248-283 Front Matter....Pages 285-285 Conclusion....Pages 287-287 Thinking About Federal Systems in the 21st Century in Light of the European Experience with “Operational” Federalism....Pages 288-304 Back Matter....Pages 305-346