ABSTRACT
In his most recent book In Search of the Federal Spirit, Michael Burgess gives us a comprehensive overview of the influential strands of thinking on federalism (Burgess, 2012). The book is a tour de force highlighting how various approaches to federalism can in fact be traced back to the ideas of five thinkers. In his overview of the works of Kenneth C. Wheare, William S. Livingston, William H. Riker, Carl J. Friedrich and Daniel Elazar, Burgess identifies five different scholarly strands in the way the federal spirit is expressed. While important differences exist, it is the commonalities that bring the five under the same roof. In Search of the Federal Spirit unequivocally affirms the bond between liberal democracy and federalism. Federal values and principles cannot flourish without liberal democratic foundations. Yet, all five different strands of thinking on federalism have distinctive takes on what the federal spirit is. Some emphasize the underlying calculated bargain, others the constitutional safeguards; but whatever its origins, the federal spirit results in values and principles respecting diversity.
