Rethinking Decentralization: Mapping the Meaning of Subsidiarity in Federal Political Culture

Federal countries face numerous challenges, such as public health crises, economic uncertainty, and widespread public distrust in governing institutions. Rethinking Decentralization examines the unique role of public attitudes in maintaining the fragile institutions of federalism and demonstrates how the role of citizen attachment to decentralization, subsidiarity, and federalism is unique to each country and a reflection of its history, institutions, and culture.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2023
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

Federal countries face a multitude of challenges, including public health crises, economic uncertainty, and widespread public distrust in governing institutions. Moreover, they accommodate approximately 40 percent of the world's population.

Rethinking Decentralization delves into the examination of what constitutes a successful federal government by exploring the distinctive role of public attitudes in sustaining the delicate institutions of federalism. Conventional wisdom suggests that successful federal governance hinges on the degree to which authority is delegated to lower levels of government and the extent to which citizens exhibit a "federal spirit," a term often mentioned but seldom defined. Jacob Deem challenges these assertions by examining public attitudes in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Deem showcases how the role of citizen attachment to specific manifestations of decentralization, subsidiarity, and federalism is unique to each country and a reflection of its history, institutions, and culture.

This book is an essential read for policymakers, academics, and ordinary citizens alike, as it re-centers the public's attention on offering a nuanced perspective on federal governance.

Weight: 348g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228017363