Author Interview: A Research Agenda for Federalism Studies

John Kincaid (ed)

John Kincaid tells us about his new book A Research Agenda for Federalism Studies.

Tell us a little bit about the book

This book conveys current and original reflections of 16 leading scholars from five continents on the past, present, and future of federalism research. These scholars analyze the state of research on key facets of federalism worldwide and present ideas for new research to further our understanding of federalism as a principle and mode of governance for more than 40 per cent of the world’s people. The contributors address research-agenda needs in normative political theory, constitutionalism, comparative governance, fiscal arrangements, gender, territorial diversity, nationalism, conflict resolution, shared rule, and federalism challenges in Africa, Asia, and the European Union. They identify research gaps and new research directions. The contributors are Nicholas Aroney, Jenna Bednar, Harihar Bhattacharyya, Paolo Dardanelli, John Dinan, Alan Fenna, Alain-G. Gagnon, Thomas O. Hueglin, Soeren Keil, André Lecours, Sean Mueller, Francesco Palermo, Cheryl Saunders, Nico Steytler, Arjun Tremblay, Alice Valdesalici, and Jill Vickers.

What inspired you to take up this project?

Actually, I was approached by Edward Elgar Publishing to undertake the project. Having edited a number of books over the years, I vowed not to edit another one. However, the opportunity to assemble contributions from leading scholars about research needs and directions in studying federalism was too fascinating and important to forego. The many federalism experiments bubbling up worldwide are worthy of study, as are the many successful federal arrangements and less successful ones. Although only about 28 countries are arguably federal, more than 40 per cent of the world’s people live in federal systems, making federalism a leading mode of governance, potential basis for democracy, and means to accommodate diverse, territorially based national, linguistic, ethnic, racial, and/or religious communities in a single polity. Federalism is a very important principle of governance, one that is, in many cases, the only viable means to achieve unity peacefully and democratically in the face of human diversity. Consequently, the book was a wonderful opportunity to give leading scholars free rein to set forth their diverse views on important research directions.

Whose work was influential on you throughout the course of the project?

The classic works of K. C. Wheare, Alexandre Marc, Carl J. Friedrich, Ivo D. Duchacek, William S. Livingston, Daniel J. Elazar, William H. Riker, Wallace Oates, and Ronald L. Watts, as well as such classical thinkers as Althusius and Proudhon, among others, formed an influential cocoon for inspiration and imitation. Having worked in this field for a long time, the previous works of the volume’s contributors were also important sources of inspiration, as well as standards to achieve in assembling the book.

What challenges did you face in writing the book?

There were few challenges beyond settling on what topics to include in the book. This is always a challenge for books of this nature; so, I sought to focus on classic and common themes in the field, as well as on some newer topics, such as gender and federalism. Otherwise, the contributors responded readily and quickly to invitations to participate in the project; most of them delivered their manuscripts on time; all of them provided high-quality first drafts; and all responded congenially to critical comments and recommendations. The publisher also produced the book in a speedy and responsive manner. Overall, the volume was one of the best experiences I have had editing a book.

What do you hope to see as the book’s contribution to academic discourse and to constitutional or public law more broadly?

Federalism is necessarily a law-based principle of governance, with actual federations having a written constitution at their core. Federalism deeply implicates the normative and empirical dimensions of law. Overall, the book aims to inspire young scholars, broaden the horizons of seasoned scholars, and help practitioners involved in governing or founding federal systems. The contributions are insightful, accessible, jargon-free, and thought-provoking. Therefore, the book aims, as well, to assist the many scholars in many fields who know little about federalism but frequently bump into federalism in the course of their work.

What’s next?

My field of study is mainly American federalism, with a focus currently on federalism and intergovernmental relations under the administration of President Donald Trump and on the regulation of drones in the federal system. However, forthcoming in 2020 is a new edition of the Handbook of Federal Countries by the Forum of Federations for which I am co-author of the Introduction and author of the USA chapter. I also am working on a short book entitled Federalism: A Quick Immersion.