Efficiency in the Multinational Federal Republic

Economic Record, 1991

HELIOPOLIS, 2022

The purpose of this paper is to provide a definition of federalism by looking at some of those ethical qualities and philosophical principles that shape its essence. Since it rejects both synthetic and centrifugal dynamics, and wants to keep both alive and active, federalism reveals a dialectical and antinomic essence. Since its aim is to concretely maintain the coexistence in tension of the two opposing demands of unity and diversity, federalism is much more an ethics and a practice than an abstract political theory or an ideology. Thus, the best approach to understand it, is to look at its most successful realizations: the United States of America, which represent the first federal democracy in history, and Switzerland, the repository of the oldest federalist culture in the world. The paper explores the cultural and historical roots, the moral requirements, and the spirit that underlie American and Swiss federalism. Neither of them is the result of an organic and systematic doctrinal elaboration. In contrast, both were gradually built in a pragmatic and empirical manner, in response to the challenges and stresses posed by the geographical, economic, socio-political and cultural context. The Swiss and American experiences reveal then that the essence of federalism is not only anti-utopian but also anti-systematic and paradoxical, as it does not intend to build an ideal and rational political model, but, on the contrary, to find a concrete solution to the problem of coexistence of unity and diversity by avoiding any synthesis.

Journal of Political Philosophy, 2011

Crawford Journal of Politics (CRUJOP), 2020

Federalism remains the idea of two or more independent nations forming a union for political, economic, socio-cultural and security reasons. Beginning from the 17 th to the 19 th century, European philosophers: Johannes Althusius, Immanuel Kant, Baron de Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Alexis de Tocqueville and, John Stuart Mill laid the philosophical foundation of federalism in their respective magnum opus. In the 20 th century, K. C. Wheare, W. S. Livingston, W. H. Riker, C. J. Friedrich and, W. E. Oates propounded the legal-institutional theory, sociological theory, bargaining theory, process theory and the theory of fiscal federalism for the purpose of explaining the idea 'federalism'. This paper examines the philosophy and theories of federalism from the 17 th to the 20 th century. For this study, the qualitative method of secondary data collection was adopted. The paper conclude that the philosophy and theories of federalism are tools that assist analysts and readers with the normative and empirical perspectives of federalism, the conditions and preconditions for adopting federalism, the division of power in a federation and the economic functions of the levels of government in a federal state among other things.

Acta Politica, 2008

In Search of Legitimacy

The portion of the issue with considering federalism is that it could be a microcosm of the issue with examining political science itself. Federalism bargains at the same time with crucial ethical questions as well as with flippant matter-of-fact issues. The previous, like social differences and person and collective characters, are profoundly charged enthusiastic questions for numerous individuals whereas the last mentioned include the routine pursuit of financial benefit and security and reflect for the foremost portion calculated and impartial self-interest.