Rethinking Decentralization
About This Book
Federations are contending with a demanding mix of pressures, from public health emergencies and unstable economies to a steep decline in trust toward government bodies, and roughly 40 per cent of the world's population lives under such systems. Against this backdrop, Jacob Deem asks what allows a federal state to succeed, and argues that the attitudes of its people play a crucial part in sustaining institutions that are inherently fragile. The prevailing view holds that a federation does well when authority is passed down to regional and local governments and when citizens possess a strong "federal spirit," a phrase people use often but seldom define. Deem tests these assumptions by studying public opinion in eight countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His findings show that how citizens feel about decentralization, subsidiarity, and federalism differs from one country to the next, reflecting each nation's history, institutions, and culture. By putting ordinary people back at the heart of the discussion, the book offers a more nuanced way of understanding how federal systems work. Written for policymakers, scholars, and general readers alike, the book is aimed at anyone interested in how federal governance depends on the people it serves.
ISBN: 9780228017356
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