Comparative Federalism and Federation: Competing Traditions and Future Directions

Joseph Garcea is an assistant professor of political studies at the
University of Saskatchewan.

Although this collection of articles on federalism and federations is
intended primarily for a university audience, the book is very readable
and should also appeal to general readers who wish to understand the
Canadian federalism in a comparative context.

There are theoretical discussions of federalism and federation as
concepts, of the value of federations in minimizing conflict, and of the
importance of political ideology in the establishment, operation, and
failure of federations. Several chapters explain the specific dynamics
of such federations as Switzerland, Germany, Australia, the United
States, and Canada.

Topics of special interest include the intergovernmental mechanisms
that are required to make federations work; territorial versus
sociocultural representation within federal systems; asymmetrical
arrangements within the Canadian federation; and the European experiment
with supranational federalism and federation.