In 1968, Carl J. Friedrich, a prominent Harvard political scientist, suggested that federalism was not, as many observers then believed, an anomaly in the modern era, but rather a mode of governance that was moving to the forefront of political necessity and desirability in the second half of the twentieth century. This was a prescient observation. Federalism has become a leading mechanism for addressing problems of human diversity and political scale, both small and large. It establishes unity on the basis of consent while preserving diversity by constitutionally uniting separate political communities into a limited, but encompassing, polity.

This major reference collection, edited by one of the foremost scholars in the field, grapples with a large body of knowledge that does not neatly divide into theoretical categories and imposes a structure for the purposes of studying this complex political structure and process of governance. There is little significant consensus among scholars of federalism as to what constitutes the field and its subdivision so this four volume set attempts to signpost and map out the field for researchers, post-graduates and political scientists in general.

Volume One: Theories of Federalism

Volume Two: Comparative Federalism

Volume Three: Practices of Federalism

Volume Four: Potentials of Federalism