Dialogues On Distribution Of Powers And Responsibilities In Federal Countries

An exploration of the distribution of powers and responsibilities in 11 federal systems.

Annotation A comparative analysis of eleven diverse federal countries through case studies illustrating federalism's diversity, challenges, and opportunities.

Providing examples of diverse forms of federalism, including new and mature, developed and developing, parliamentary and presidential, and common-law and civil law, the comparative studies in this volume analyse government in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States. Each chapter describes the provisions of a constitution, explains the political, social, and historical factors that influenced its creation, and explores its practical application, how it has changed, and future challenges, offering valuable ideas and lessons for federal constitution-making and reform.Contributors include Ignatius Ayua Akaayar (Nigeria), Raoul Blindenbacher (Switzerland), Dakas C.J. Dakas (Nigeria), Kris Deschouwer (Belgium), Juan Marcos Gutiérrez González (Mexico), John Kincaid (USA), Rainer Knopff (Canada), Jutta Kramer (Germany), Akhtar Majeed (India), Marat S. Salikov (Russia), Cheryl Saunders (Australia), Anthony M. Sayers (Canada), Nicolas Schmitt (Switzerland), Celina Sousa (Brazil), Nico Steytler (South Africa), and G. Alan Tarr (USA).The Frech edition is Forthcoming in the Fall 2005 as Les origines, structure, et changements constitutionnels dans les pays fédéraux

Booklet 9 explores the patterns of mutual interaction between political parties and federal institutions in the following twelve federal countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States. Contributors examine the multi-level structures of electoral competition and the vertical linkages of state-wide party organizations in their country, as well as processes of government formation and the coordination of public policies across territorial levels via party channels.

These lively, timely, and accessible dialogues on federal systems provide the reader with highlights of each topic, serving as an entry point to the corresponding book, which offers a more in depth, comprehensive exploration of the theme. Whether you are a student or teacher of federalism, working in the field of federalism, or simply interested in the theme, these booklets are an insightful and informative analysis of the topic at hand in each of the featured countries. Booklet 7 examines the balance of diversity and unity in the following federal or federal-type countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the United States of America. Contributors include Nicholas Aroney (University of Queensland, Australia), Balveer Arora (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India), Petra Bendel (Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany), Irina Busygina (Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia), César Colino (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain), Frank Delmartino (Institute of International and European Policy, Belgium), Hugues Dumont (Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis, Belgium), Marcus Faro de Castro (Brasília University, Brazil), Assefa Fiseha (Ethiopian Civil Service College, Ethiopia), Thomas Fleiner (University of Fribourg, Switzerland), Alain-G. Gagnon (Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada), Mohammed Habib (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia), Andreas Heinemann-Grüder (University of Bonn, Germany), Maya Hertig (University of Geneva, Switzerland), John Kincaid (Lafayette College, USA), Gilberto Marcos Antonio Rodrigues (Catholic University of Santos, Brazil), Luis Moreno (Spanish National Research Council, Spain), Richard Simeon (University of Toronto, Canada), Roland Sturm (Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany), Rotimi T. Suberu (Bennington College, USA), and Sébastien Van Drooghenbroeck (Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis, Belgium).

These lively, timely, and accessible dialogues on federal systems provide a comparative snapshot of each topic and include comparative analyses, glossaries of country-specific terminology, and a timeline of major constitutional events. Countries considered include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Whether you are a student or teacher of federalism, working in the field of federalism, or simply interested in the topic, these booklets will prove to be an insightful, brief exploration of the topic at hand in each of the featured countries. Contributors include Rajeev Dhavan (University of Delhi), John Dinan (Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem), Alexander Domrin (Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law), Anna Gamper (University of Innsbruck), Antonio M. Hernandez (National University of Cordoba), Thomas Hueglin (Wilfred Laurier University), Katy Le Roy (University of Melbourne), Wolf Linder (University of Bern), Christina Murray (University of Cape Town), Stefan Oeter (Universität Hamburg), Ebere Osieke (Imo State University), Cheryl Saunders (University of Melbourne), Rekha Saxena (University of Delhi), and Isabelle Steffen (University of Bern).

In 2005 a Harvard conference honoured Paul Weiler, originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, who drafted the Notwithstanding Clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and created the Canada Program at Harvard University. Weiler's Notwithstanding Clause saved the floundering constitutional talks that eventually rebuilt Canada upon the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In Part One of this book, Weiler lucidly describes his very Canadian legal philosophy, spelling out his original intent in drafting the clause. Joining Harvard in 1979, he set up a Canada Program that has provided the image of Canada held by many future leaders. He reenergized the languishing Mackenzie King Endowment for Canadian Studies and soon Mackenzie King visiting professors were teaching everything from Canadian economics to Canadian aboriginal history. After Weiler's address at the 2005 conference, past Mackenzie King professors spoke on Canada; the second part of this book contains their essays. Many discuss constitutional law or politics but discussions range from economic nationalism to water rights. Readers interested in what Harvard students learn about Canada will find these essays intriguing. Weiler's Canada Program is expansively multidisciplinary and this book is a respectful tribute to both Weiler and to Canada. Contributors include Thomas S. Axworthy (Queen's University), Albert Breton, Alan Cairns, John C. Courtney, Angela Fraschini, John F. Helliwell, Haifang Huang, Richard Johnston, Elena Kagan (Dean of Harvard Law School), Randall Morck (University of Alberta), Joy Parr, Anthony Scott, Laurier Turgeon, and Paul Weiler.

In Diversity and Unity in Federal Countries, leading scholars and practitioners analyse the current political, socio-economic, spatial, and cultural diversity in the countries under consideration before delving into the role that social, historical, and political factors have had in shaping the balance of diversity and unity. The authors assess the value placed on diversity by examining whether present institutional arrangements and public policies restrict or enhance diversity and address the future challenges of balancing diversity and unity in an increasingly populated and mobile world.