28: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations

Robert Vipond, University of Toronto, rvipond@chass.utoronto.ca

The theme of the 2009 APSA annual meeting, "Politics in Motion", aptly describes the shifting scholarly terrain in the field of federalism and intergovernmental relations. For the first time in its 104 years, the Annual Meeting will take place outside of the United States - in a country whose constitutional architects believed they had corrected the design flaws inherent in American federalism no less! What better way to give substance to the symbolism of the APSA beyond the U.S. than by taking stock of some of the international manifestations of federalism? We encourage paper proposals that build in an international dimension - whether by exploring federalism as a strategy for reducing conflict in deeply divided societies, taking stock of the influence of American federalism abroad, analyzing federalism as a variable in the policy process cross-nationally, and so on.

The twin themes of change and complexity also resonate with developments in federalism and intergovernmental relations. The theme of change "draws our attention to what is new, different, and unusual in politics." The field of federalism and intergovernmental relations is a case in point, where considerable attention has been paid recently to the dynamics of such things as multi-level governance, "glocalization," asymmetrical federalism, regional innovation systems, and intergovernmental networks. One of the characteristics of these changes is their complexity and fluidity. Has federalism become so fluid that it is now difficult to provide clear and parsimonious accounts of the politics that underlie it and follow from it? Or have we over-stated the extent to which things have changed? At the end of the day, for example, has the Bush presidency transformed the politics of federalism in the U.S., or do familiar patterns endure? Again to paraphrase the organizers: We encourage federalism and IGR panels "that ask in what ways is the world more complex and in what ways do we just see it as such."