Fiscal Federalism in Multinational States: Autonomy, Equality, and Diversity

Substate nationalism and multinational federalism are often studied as questions of political identity and cultural recognition, but they also have significant fiscal and redistributive dimensions. Contributors from political philosophy and political science disciplines explore the fiscal side of substate nationalism in Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia, examining the connection between secessionist claims and interregional redistributive arrangements, power relations in federations, the relationship between substate nationalism and fiscal autonomy, and the role of federal governments in redistributing resources among substate national groups.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 21 July 2021
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

Substate nationalism and multinational federalism are often studied as questions of political identity and cultural recognition, with the latter being primarily conceived as a tool for accommodating minority cultures and identities. However, few works in political philosophy and political science pay attention to the fiscal and redistributive dimensions of these phenomena. In recent years, nationalist movements in Western countries have made crucial claims about fiscal autonomy and the fair distribution of resources between national groups within the same state. For example, Scottish nationalists have demanded greater tax autonomy, Catalan and Flemish nationalists have viewed themselves as unfairly disadvantaged by centralized fiscal arrangements, and equalization payments and social transfers in Canada have exacerbated tensions within the federation. In Fiscal Federalism in Multinational States, contributors from political philosophy and political science disciplines explore the fiscal side of substate nationalism in Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia. Chapters examine the connection between secessionist claims and interregional redistributive arrangements, power relations in federations where taxing and spending responsibilities are shared between orders of government, the relationship between substate nationalism and fiscal autonomy, and the role of federal governments in redistributing resources among substate national groups. This book is a groundbreaking analysis of the connections between nationalist claims and fiscal debates within plurinational states.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 152 x 230 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228006527