'A Commonwealth of Commonwealths': Late Nineteenth-Century Conceptions of Federalism and Their Impact on Australian Federation, 1890-1901

The Journal of Legal History, Vol. 23, No. 3, p. 253, 2002

38 Pages Posted: 19 Dec 2008 Last revised: 24 Dec 2008

See all articles by Nicholas Aroney

Nicholas Aroney

The University of Queensland - T.C. Beirne School of Law; Emory University - Center for the Study of Law and Religion

Date Written: December 16, 2008

Abstract

This article utilizes the Australian experience of federation, 1890-1901, as a vehicle for the discussion of the leading conceptions of federalism extant in the late nineteenth-century English-speaking world. In particular, the article examines the federal theories of James Madison, James Bryce, Edward Freeman, Albert Dicey and John Burgess in the context of many others, and seeks to show that the idea of a 'Commonwealth of commonwealths', although controverted by contending theories, remained a central theme in late nineteenth-century conceptions of federalism.

Keywords: federalism, James Bryce, Edward Freeman, Albert Dicey, John Burgess

Suggested Citation

Aroney, Nicholas, 'A Commonwealth of Commonwealths': Late Nineteenth-Century Conceptions of Federalism and Their Impact on Australian Federation, 1890-1901 (December 16, 2008). The Journal of Legal History, Vol. 23, No. 3, p. 253, 2002 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1317111

Nicholas Aroney (Contact Author)

The University of Queensland - T.C. Beirne School of Law ( email )

Brisbane 4072, Queensland
Australia
+61-(0)7-3365 3053 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://law.uq.edu.au/profile/1098/nicholas-aroney

Emory University - Center for the Study of Law and Religion ( email )

Atlanta, GA 30322
United States

HOME PAGE: http://cslr.law.emory.edu/people/senior-fellows/aroney-nicholas.html

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