Federal Democracies [Paperback]

Federal Democraciesexamines the evolution of the relationship between federalism and democracy. Taking the late 18th century US Federal Experience as its starting-point, the book uses the contributions of Calhoun, Bryce and Proudhon as 19th century conceptual prisms through which we can witness the challenges and changes made to the meaning of this relationship. The book then goes on to provide a series of case studies to examine contemporary examples of federalism and includes chapters on Canada, USA, Russia, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and the emerging European Union. It features two further case studies on Minority Nations and a Federal Europe, and concludes with two chapters providing comparative empirical and theoretical perspectives, and comparative reflections on federalism and democracy.

Bringing together international experts in the field this book will be vital reading for students and scholars of federalism, comparative politics and government.

Notes on contributors  Preface  1. Introduction: federalism and democracy - Michael Burgess and Alain-G. Gagnon  Part I  2. Democracy and federation in the Federalist Papers -Iain Hampsher Monk  3. Togetherness in multinational federal democracies: Tocqueville, Proudhon and the theoretical gap in the modern federal tradition - Dimitrios Karmis  4. John C. Calhoun: federalism, constitutionalism and democracy - Murray Forsyth  5. Variations on a theme. James Bryce, federalism and democracy: from the Holy Roman Empire and the American Commonwealth to the British Empire - Michael Burgess  Part II  6 Democracy versus federalism in the United States of America - John Kincaid  7. Federal democracy in Switzerland - Paollã