Understanding Federalism and Federation

Alain-G. Gagnon is Canada Research Chair in Quebec and Canadian Studies and Professor of Political Science, Université du Québec à Montréal. Member of the Royal Society of Canada, Gagnon's research and writing has concentrated on Quebec and Canadian politics, with a special emphasis on multinational federalism, nationalism, identity politics, and party politics. Soeren Keil received a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Kent in Canterbury and is Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Canterbury Christ Church University. His main research focuses on institutional design in post-conflict societies with a particular focus on the Western Balkans, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is especially interested in power-sharing models in divided societies, as well as forms of territorial and non-territorial autonomy for minority nations. Sean Mueller is the Editorial Assistant of the Swiss Political Science Review and Lecturer at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Berne. He is also co-convenor of the standing group on 'Federalism & Territorial Politics' of the Swiss Political Science Association (since 2011) and in the editorial board of 'Fédéralisme-Régionalisme' (since 2013). He defended his PhD thesis on explaining intra-cantonal decentralisation in Switzerland at the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK, in May 2013, and was awarded his doctorate in November 2013.

’This book is a collection of federal wisdom. Distinguished political scientists take the reader through the fascinating journey of federalism and its never-ending intellectual challenges. Federal studies unveil an odyssey of complexity and always have the potential to surprise: this book does it magnificently, honoring a great scholar. Worth reading!’ Francesco Palermo, Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, EURAC, Italy ’Understanding Federalism and Federation is a valuable collection of essays on critical contemporary questions for the theory and practice of federalism in the 21st century. The authors are leading scholars in the field of federal studies. The essays range widely over the federal-type systems of the world, offering a cornucopia of comparative federal experience, from which fresh insights can be drawn. The book is a fitting tribute to the work of Michael Burgess, one of the foremost theorists of federalism in recent decades.’ Cheryl Saunders, Melbourne Law School, Australia

• 1: Introduction; I: Evolving Federal Traditions and Federal Systems; I 2: Comparing Federal Political Systems; I 3: Federalism; II: Charting Federalism and Federations; 4: George W. Bush and the Spirit of Coercive Federalism; 5: In Search of Constitutional Federalism; 6: Still in Search of the Federal Spirit; 7: Switzerland; 8: Ideology, Political Economy and Federalism; 9: Constitutionalism, Empowerment and Multinational Federalism; 10: National Pluralism, Recognition, Federalism and Secession (or Hegel Was a Clever Guy); 11: Why No Federalism in the United Kingdom?; 12: Poland's German Minority; III: The European Union; 13: The European Union as a Federal Project; 14: Federalism in the EU and Canada; 15: ‘Federal Europe'; III: Conclusion