Authors: Bobbio, Matteucci, Pasquino
Summary: The entry focuses on two different aspect of federalism: the federal theory of the State and federalism as general vision of society. The entry concludes by considering the history of European political integration.
Historically speaking, federalism arose as a check on the nation-state and its tendency to centralize political power. Traditionally, nation-states tended to limit or suppress any ties citizens might have to larger or smaller communities than the nation. This centralizing power of nation-states was stalled by two events: the failure of the First Socialist International, and the First World War. The entry argues that as a reaction to these events the centralizing tendency of the nation-state reached its zenith in nazism and fascism. After the Second World War, traditional nation-states were surpassed by more loosely grouped continental powers, such as the United States and the Soviet Union.
Kant was the first scholar to explore federalism as social theory. He maintains that the basic condition for peace is the extension of law to all social relations, particularly to relations among states. He advocates a world federation and opposed international anarchism.
The "Federalist," written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in 1787-88, is the first full formulation of federalism as a theory of governance. They envisage federalism as a way of limiting the power of government by maintaining multiple sovereignties within a single state. Functions and responsibilities are allocated and coordinated between the sovereignties. In a typical federal system the central state guarantees political and economic unity while regional governments retain residual powers. In a centralized state these regional authorities are lacking, and the central government retains the power to govern.