Current News, Analyses, Events, Publications, & Personalities
In the interests of intellectual discourse, the Center for the Study of Federalism posts diverse viewpoints. The views we post do not necessarily represent the views of the Center.
Subnational Treaty-Making in Australia
POSTED | Jan 20, 2022
Harry Hobbs and George Williams analyze how and why Australian states and territories have begun the process of treaty-making with indigenous peoples. Read more here.
Book on Decentralization
POSTED | Jan 20, 2022
Ignacio Lago has edited Handbook on Decentralization, Devolution, and the State (Northampton, Massachusetts: Edward Elgar, 2021). The book's contributors examine how decentralization varies across countries and how...More
Fiscal Transfers in Russia, 2013-2018
POSTED | Jan 19, 2022
Anton Afanasev investigates how Russian regions, between 2013 and 2018, adjusted fiscal and electoral policies to receive larger shares of intergovernmental transfers. Read more here.
Can States and Localities Save Democracy?
POSTED | Jan 19, 2022
Donald F. Kettl contends that states and localities might help the nation stop "backsliding" away from democracy. Read more here.
Federalism in the Middle East and North Africa
POSTED | Jan 18, 2022
Asli U. Bali and Omar M. Dajani review the state of federalism and decentralization in the Middle East and North Africa. Read more here.
Cities Report Improved Fiscal Outlook Thanks to Federal Help
POSTED | Jan 18, 2022
Bill Lucia reports that a number of municipal financial officers from major cities have indicated that the fiscal outlook for their governments has improved considerably...More
Preserving Federal Review of State Legislation
POSTED | Jan 14, 2022
Georgina Yeomans contends that Article III of the Constitution provides the U.S. Supreme Court a way to prevent states from enacting the sort of "procedural...More
Optional Federal Legislation
POSTED | Jan 14, 2022
Jacob Bronsther and Guha Krishnamurthi suggest that the partisanship that now dominates national politics could be eased by allowing the states to simply opt in...More
Ghana's Journey Away from Federalism
POSTED | Jan 13, 2022
Dennis Penu writes that since its independence in 1957, Ghana has steadily moved away from its federalist constitution to an "entrenched" unitary structure. Read more...More
Nepal's Path to Federalism
POSTED | Jan 13, 2022
In a paper based on his Ph.D. dissertation, Vishnu Tandon reviews Nepal's "complicated path" to federalism. Read more here.
Will Smaller Localities Miss Out on Federal Infrastructure Funding?
POSTED | Jan 12, 2022
Jake Blumgart reports that some smaller, less affluent localities could miss out on competitive federal infrastructure funding because they often lack the resources to compete...More
Federalism and Data Collection
POSTED | Jan 12, 2022
Tate Volbrecht reviews issues with the federal government's administrative data collection efforts and contends that "fractured data bureaucracies are a natural consequence of the country's...More
Treasury Clarifies Use of ARPA Funds
POSTED | Jan 11, 2022
The U.S. Treasury Department has issued new guidance to states and localities in how to use American Rescue Act Plan funds. Read more here.
Cities Challenge U.S. Census Count
POSTED | Jan 11, 2022
A number of cities across the nation, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, are challenging the federal census, claiming that the U.S. Census Bureau undercounted...More
Should the Democratic Party Focus More on State and Local Elections?
POSTED | Jan 10, 2022
In an op-ed, David Brooks writes that the Democratic Party is failing to defend democracy because the party pays too much attention to maintaining power...More