ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers seven institutional features that are proposed as having an effect on the likelihood of intergovernmental agreements being formed in any federation. These institutional variables are: the degree of constitutional overlap that exists and centralization in the constitutional division of powers, the size and status of the federal spending power and scope of the Welfare State, the existence of lasting forums for intergovernmental relations, the number of subnational governments and the existence of intrastate federalism. The chapter explains the logic behind the case selection and the basic methodology of this study. It continues the analysis with a discussion of Canada. It introduces the first European federation in this comparison, the Federal Republic of Germany. It concludes the individual country analyses by examining the oldest federation, the United States of America.