ABSTRACT

Almost all states are either federal or regionalized in some sense. It is difficult to find a state that is entirely unitary and the Routledge Handbook of Regionalism and Federalism necessarily takes in almost the entire world. Both federalism and regionalism have been subjects of a vast academic literature mainly from political science but sometimes also from history, economics, and geography. This cutting edge examination seeks to evaluate the two types of state organization from the perspective of political science producing a work that is analytical rather than simply descriptive.

The Handbook presents some of the latest theoretical reflections on regionalism and federalism and then moves on to discuss cases of both regionalism and federalism in key countries chosen from the world’s macro-regions. Assembling this wide range of case studies allows the book to present a general picture of current trends in territorial governance. The final chapters then examine failed federations such as Czechoslovakia and examples of transnational regionalism - the EU, NAFTA and the African Union.

Covering evolving forms of federalism and regionalism in all parts of the world and featuring a comprehensive range of case studies by leading international scholars this work will be an essential reference source for all students and scholars of international politics, comparative politics and international relations.

part I|153 pages

Theoretical and comparative approaches to federalism and regionalism

chapter 1|16 pages

Reconfiguring the nation-state

Hybridity vs. uniformity

chapter 2|15 pages

Typologies of federalism

chapter 4|16 pages

The penumbra of federalism

A conceptual reappraisal of federalism, federation, confederation and federal political system

chapter 8|14 pages

Federalism and public policy

Do federalism, regionalism and hybridity make any difference? Evidence from environmental policy

part II|54 pages

Case studies by region: North America

chapter 11|15 pages

The United States of America

From dualistic simplicity to centralized complexity

chapter 12|18 pages

Canada

Federal adaptation and the limits of hybridity

chapter 13|19 pages

Mexico

From centralized authoritarianism to disarticulated democracy?

part |142 pages

Case studies by region: Europe

chapter 14|12 pages

The Belgian Federation

A labyrinth state

chapter 15|12 pages

Germany

Federalism under unitary pressure

chapter 16|13 pages

Austria

A federal, a decentralized unitary or a ‘hybrid' state? Relations between the welfare state and the federal state after 1945

chapter 17|11 pages

Switzerland

Europe's first federation 1

chapter 18|14 pages

Russia

Involuted federalism and segmented regionalism

chapter 19|14 pages

Spain

The autonomic state

chapter 20|15 pages

Italy

Between the hybrid state and Europe's federalizing process

chapter 21|15 pages

Sweden

Federalism in the land of centrally guided regionalization

chapter 22|14 pages

Devolution in the United Kingdom

chapter 23|10 pages

Poland

Creeping regionalization of the unitary state

chapter 24|10 pages

France

From the ‘one and indivisible republic' to the decentralized unitary state 1

part |35 pages

Case studies by region: Asia

chapter 25|18 pages

India

A hybrid federal-unitary state?

chapter 26|15 pages

Assessing hybridity in the People's Republic of China

The impact of post-Mao decentralization

part |26 pages

Case studies by region: Asia-Pacific

chapter 27|12 pages

Australia

An ‘integrated' federation?

chapter 28|12 pages

Indonesia

Arbitrary polity, unitary state

part |42 pages

Case studies by region: Africa

chapter 29|13 pages

Nigeria

A centralizing federation

chapter 30|14 pages

Federalism in Ethiopia

Hybridity in ambiguity?

chapter 31|13 pages

South Africa

The reluctant hybrid federal state

part |41 pages

Case studies by region: Latin America

chapter 32|14 pages

Brazil

From ‘isolated' federalism to hybridity

chapter 34|15 pages

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

An empty constitutional federation?

part |14 pages

Case studies by region: Middle East

chapter 35|12 pages

Lebanon

The hybridity of a confessional state

part III|34 pages

Failed federations

chapter 36|14 pages

‘Federalizing the federation'

The failure of the Yugoslav experiment

chapter 37|18 pages

Czechoslovakia

A peaceful disintegration

part IV|39 pages

Transnationalism regionalism

chapter 38|12 pages

Federalism and the European Union

chapter 39|14 pages

The North American Free Trade Agreement

The limits of integration

chapter 40|11 pages

African Union

From practical federalism to fantasy union