Federalism and Democracy: two faces of the same coin?

Abstract

Federalism and Democracy: two faces of the same coin? Although, there are voices in scholarship arguing that federalism is eo ipso only thinkable in connection with democracy, the relationship between them is an ambivalent one. A federal state order coincides with societal diversities and is open to differentiated policy-making across the country. Empirical experiences from the past have shown that the federal impact in a democratic setting can take two directions. Either it can mark a fruitful ground for a stimulating interplay between these two factors deepening both aspects; or federalism combined with democracy challenges or even threatens the integrity of the country via incongruity (inter alia unequal distribution of resources or competences) or secession. Hereby, federal institutions and specifics such as Upper Chambers, regional parties, federal dynamics and attitudes of decentralization do affect a state’s democracy to diverse degrees and with diverse influence. However, the expected signs of the coefficients may be unclear ex ante and several questions arise concerning federal and democratic attributes being antagonistic or affine to each other. Which federal arrangements disturb or do not contribute to a vital democracy? Which institutional elements of federalism do enhance democracy? What can federalism provide to back democracy up preventing authoritarian developments? Do federalism and decentralization draw a distinction in democracies in general and is there a performance difference to unitarist states? Those aspects require further research attention and this panel wants to give an opportunity to do so. The panel connects the methodological, theoretical and empirical standpoints in the study of federalism and democracy. Panelists are invited to present studies and work in progress dealing with the drivers and effects of democracy in federal and decentralized states and vice versa. It is open to papers seeking to make a theoretical or empirical contribution, treating federalism as either an independent or dependent variable, or both, and appreciates comparative studies. Furthermore, approaches going across social science disciplines are most welcome. This panel, hence, sheds new light on the very fundamentals of federal studies by presenting novel research projects on the key aspects of federalism and democracy. It addresses the federal essence as well as its pivotal implications on states’ challenges and development.

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