Theme 8

Intergovernmental Relations in Federal Countries

A defining feature of federal systems is the constitutional recognition of at least two orders of government (i.e., federal and regional).  Each order has a direct relationship with the people, and defined powers are ascribed to each order, generally codified by a written constitution, which is usually interpreted by a supreme court or a constitutional court.  However, no matter how carefully powers are assigned between the orders, substantial interaction is inevitable and necessary.  The range of interactions between the orders of government includes consultation, coordination, cooperation, comity, compensation, collaboration, co-decision-making, cooptation, collusion, competition, corruption, confrontation, conflict, command, coercion, control, and confusion, among others.  These facets of intergovernmental relations can occur sequentially, alternately, and simultaneously in a federal system.

Co-ordinators for this theme are Johanne Poirier, Professor, Centre de droit public, Faculté de droit Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, and Cheryl Saunders, Director, Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies Law School, University of Melbourne.

Confirmed country co-ordinators include:  

Argentina

Walter Carnota
National University of Buenos Aires

Australia

John Phillimore
The John Curtin Institute of Public Policy
Curtin University of Technology

Austria

Peter Bußjäger

Vorarlberger Landtag

Brazil

Marta Arretche
Departamento de Ciência Política - Universidade de São Paulo

Canada

Marc-Antoine Adam
Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales Canadiennes, Ministère du Conseil exécutif
Gouvernement du Québec

Germany

Helmut-Schmidt-Universität - Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg
Fakultät WISO, Institut für Politikwissenschaft

Julia von Blumenthal
Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Institut für Politikwissenschaft

India

Mahendra Prasad Singh
National Law University

Rekha Saxena
Department of Political Science, University of Delhi

Nigeria

Professor Eghosa E. Osaghae
Igbinedion University

South Africa

Derek Powell

Spain

Maria Jesús García Morales, Profesora Titular de Derecho Constitucional, Autonomous University of Barcelona

Xavier Arbós Marín, Catedrático de Derecho Constitucional, Departament Dret Públic, University of Girona

Switzerland

Thomas Pfisterer
Ursula Abderhalden

United States

Troy E. Smith
Department of Political Science
Brigham Young University at Hawaii

European Union

Nicolas Levrat
Institut Européen de l’Université de Genève

Theme8

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