Accommodating Diversity: Asymmetry in Federal States

In many federal or evolving states there are considerable socio-economic disparities between their territorial units or differences in their constitutional status. The contributions in this volume deal with the question to what extent federal asymmetry constitutes a condition for successful governance in states with heterogeneous societies. The papers were submitted by the members of a working group established by the »IPSA Research Committee on Comparative Federalism and Federation«. Based on comparative analysis they are addressed to scientists as well as to political practitioners. Selected contributions: R. Agranoff, Power Shifts, Diversity and Asymmetry; R.L. Watts, The Theoretical and Practical Implications of Asymmetrical Federalism; B. Galligan, R. Mulgan, Asymmetric Political Association: The Australasian Experiment; A.-G. Gagnon, C. Gibbs, The Normative Basis of Asymmetrical Federalism; R. Sturm, The Constitution under Pressure: Emerging Asymmetrical Federalism in Germany?; L. Moreno: Asymmetry in Spain; M. Burgess, F. Gress, Asymmetrical Federalism in Canada, the United States and Germany.