ABSTRACT
This chapter shows the African National Congress's dominance has the effect of reinforcing the institutional effects of South Africa's federal system. The complete lack of any kind of formal, national intergovernmental agreement sets South Africa apart as a unique case in this investigation, and the remaining sections of the chapter will be devoted to understanding how each of the different variables may have contributed to the lack of agreement formation. The national government's spending power is effectively unstoppable, given its size and jurisdictional reach: rather than encourage negotiation and agreements, it simply increases the dominance of the center. The chapter discusses the centralization of power in the national executive and Parliament. The institutional features create an environment that is far from conducive to the formation of intergovernmental agreements and provide a strong alternative. The National Council of Provinces ensures that the practice of intrastate federalism incorporates some of the business of intergovernmental relations into the national legislative process.
