ABSTRACT
Since its inception in 1920, Austria’s federal system has moved in a centralist direction. The standard explanation credits the Austrian constitution as the reason for this pattern of change.1 According to this view, the Austrian provinces (Länder) were constitutionally in a weaker position vis-à-vis the federal government (Bund). In the following decades, the Bund took advantage of its initial powers and expanded into policy areas under Länder jurisdiction. As a result, the Länder have been relegated to the position of administrative subunits in a decentralized state, rather than retaining their position as the constituent members of a federal union. Austrian scholars tend to use the term “centralistic federation” (zentralistischer Bundesstaat) to describe this system.2 Empirical evidence, however, suggests that a perspective based on the social structure is more helpful in explaining the broad pressures towards centralization.3
