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 Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Figures 10 List of Tables 12 Preface 13 Notes on the Contributors 16 1 In the Eye of the Beholder: The Dynamics of Federalism in National and Supranational Political Systems 20 Part I: Constitutional and Political Framework 38 Overview and Introduction 40 2 Types of Federalism: Achieving Self-Governing Capabilities in Societies with Federal Potentials 46 3 “Thinking Federally” from a Governance Perspective 74 4 Social Forces, Space and Boundaries 105 Part II: The Fiscal Framework 120 Overview and Introduction 122 5 Wealth and Tax Systems 126 6 Local Government Own-source Revenues and Debt Financing: Structure and Stress 155 7 Fiscal Federalism and Intergovernmental Revenues in the US 186 Part III: The Policy Framework 218 Overview and Introduction 220 8 Dividing the Job Revisited: Learning from the United States Case 1789–2006 224 9 Efficient and Equitable Service Delivery in a Federal System 242 10 Intergovernmental Policy Management: Cooperative Practices in Federal Systems 267 Part IV: Conclusion 304 Conclusion 306 11 Thinking About Federal Systems in the 21st Century in Light of the European Experience with “Operational” Federalism 307 Bibliography 324 Index 352 A 352 B 353 C 353 D 354 E 355 F 356 G 357 H 358 I 359 J 359 K 360 L 360 M 360 N 361 O 361 P 362 Q 362 R 362 S 362 T 363 U 364 V 364 W 364 Y 365 Z 365