Federalism is at once a set of institutions -- the division of
public authority between two or more constitutionally defined orders of
government -- and a set of ideas which underpin such institutions. As
an idea, federalism points us to issues such as shared and divided
sovereignty, multiple loyalties and identities, and governance through
multi-level institutions.

Seen in this more complex way, federalism is deeply relevant to a
wide range of issues facing contemporary societies. Global forces --
economic and social -- are forcing a rethinking of the role of the
central state, with power and authority diffusing both downwards to
local and state institutions and upwards to supranational bodies.
Economic restructuring is altering relationships within countries, as
well as the relationships of countries with each other. At a societal
level, the recent growth of ethnic and regional nationalisms -- most
dramatically in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, but also in
many other countries in western Europe and North America -- is forcing
a rethinking of the relationship between state and nation, and of the
meaning and content of 'citizenship.'

Rethinking Federalism explores the power and relevance of
federalism in the contemporary world, and provides a wide-ranging
assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, and potential in a variety of
contexts. Interdisciplinary in its approach, it brings together leading
scholars from law, economics, sociology, and political science, many of
whom draw on their own extensive involvement in the public policy
process. Among the contributors, each writing with the authority of
experience, are Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa and Jacques Pelkmans on the
European Union, Paul Chartrand on Aboriginal rights, Samuel Beer on
North American federalism, Alan Cairns on identity, and Vsevolod
Vasiliev on citizenship after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The themes refracted through these different disciplines and
political perspectives include nationalism, minority protection,
representation, and economic integration. The message throughout this
volume is that federalism is not enough -- rights protection and
representation are also of fundamental importance in designing
multi-level governments.