Rethinking Decentralization: Mapping the Meaning of Subsidiarity in Federal Political Culture Volume 13 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780228017356)

Federal countries face innumerable challenges including public health crises, economic uncertainty, and widespread public distrust in governing institutions. They are also home to 40 per cent of the world's population. Rethinking Decentralization explores the question of what makes a successful federal government by examining the unique role of public attitudes in maintaining the fragile institutions of federalism. Conventional wisdom is that successful federal governance is predicated on the degree to which authority is devolved to lower levels of government and the extent to which citizens display a "federal spirit" - a term often referenced but rarely defined. Jacob Deem puts these claims to the test, examining public attitudes in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Deem demonstrates how the role of citizen attachment to particular manifestations of decentralization, subsidiarity, and federalism is unique to each country and a reflection of its history, institutions, and culture. Essential reading for policymakers, academics, and everyday citizens, Rethinking Decentralization re-centres the public to offer a nuanced way of thinking about federal governance.

Author: Jacob Deem
ISBN-10: 0228017351
ISBN-13: 9780228017356
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
Language: English
Published: 07/15/2023
Pages: 232
Format: Hardcover

Review Citation(s):
Choice 07/01/2024