Federalism: A Critical Guide

U of Michigan Public Law Working Paper No. 251

Published as "Federalism: Theory, Policy, Law," in M. Rosenfeld and A. Sajo, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law 576-608 (Oxford: OUP 2012).

52 Pages Posted: 9 Sep 2011 Last revised: 3 Feb 2013

Date Written: September 9, 2011

Abstract

This sweeping paper provides a concise critical overview of federalism scholarship and practice in comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. It presents and critiques historical debates about defining federalism, maps out a comprehensive normative theory of federalism, suggests the centrality of a refined theory to legal disputes, discusses the significance of new institutional theory, and reconsiders the purported consequences of federal architecture for key issues such as policy stability and polity stability. The paper closes by exploring avenues for expanding the reach of federalism all the way from private to global governance.

Keywords: Federalism, federation, autonomy

JEL Classification: K10

Suggested Citation

Halberstam, Daniel, Federalism: A Critical Guide (September 9, 2011). U of Michigan Public Law Working Paper No. 251, Published as "Federalism: Theory, Policy, Law," in M. Rosenfeld and A. Sajo, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law 576-608 (Oxford: OUP 2012)., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1924939 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1924939

Daniel Halberstam (Contact Author)

University of Michigan Law School ( email )

625 South State Street
342 Hutchins Hall
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1215
United States
734-763-4408 (Phone)
734-763-9375 (Fax)

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