A “Global Theory of Federalism”: The Nature and Challenges of a Federal State

Abstract

Innumerable attempts have been made to explore the theoretical nature of federalism. Due to the long history, worldwide existence and interdisciplinary character of federalism, a plethora of literature has been written on the topic. Yet, these endeavours have not even resulted in a clear and commonly used definition of the term. Surely, it is one of the great dilemmas of this field of research that despite so much discussion, there is no settled common denominator of ‘federalism'. Whereas practical studies and exchange of experience between the various federal systems offer a more conventional research arena, comparative theoretical approaches are much more seldom. This is not the least because of the tremendous semantic challenges of a comparative theoretical approach. At first glance, it is sometimes difficult to understand the terminology of federalism, the meaning of which differs according to the perspectives of constitutional law, political science or economics. Even more difficulty arises when the substance of federal theories is discussed. Again, differences between theories may be due to different academic approaches, particularly between understanding federalism as an overall principle or as a more concrete concept of a federal state and, in particular, whether the constituent units of a federal state are states, and, if states, whether they are sovereign.

Uniformity in Local Government System and the Governance Model in Nigeria

“…While Nigeria has been savouring the idea of a three tier federal structure, some scholars (e.g. Gamper, 2005), believe that local governments cannot generally become equal third partners within the federal system despite the fact that they are very much affected by the federal operative system such as the impetus for fiscal distribution. Similarly, Ayeni (1994) observes that three-tier federalism is impossible to define in a consistent manner.…”

“…Similarly, Ayeni (1994) observes that three-tier federalism is impossible to define in a consistent manner. This is because local governments usually do not partake in legislative power-sharing which is essential to the policy-making power of the constituent units of a federal system (Gamper, 2005).…”

Model and determinants of state-local governments’ relations in Nigeria

“…Some scholars (e.g. Gamper, 2005;Gibson, 2004;Steytler, 2005) have argued whether local government can indeed become an equal third partner within a federal system. In other words, to what extent can the constitution define and guarantee the powers and rights of local governments within a federal arrangement?…”

Why Do Federal Studies Matter and What Does Matter?

“…The two main issues that kept scholars busy for the past decadesconceptualization and definition of federalism and institutional aspectsare decreasing in their significance. Scholars are finally accepting that there is no universal agreement on what federalism means (Gamper, 2005), nor is there agreement on how to classify federal countries (Watts, 2008). Nor can there be one.…”