Theories of Federalism: A Reader [Paperback]

Dimitrios Karmis (Editor), Wayne Norman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0312295812 | ISBN-13: 978-0312295813 | Edition: First

This reader brings together the most significant writings on federalism from the seventeenth century to the present. Federalist theories have received short shrift in most texts and university courses on the history of political thought. We tend to read this history, from Hobbes to Rawls, as if the greatest political thinkers were concerned exclusively with the unitary nation-state. Yet running parallel to this tradition is another concerned with the best ways for multiple political communities to share the same political space in federative arrangements. Many of the most famous political thinkers--including Rousseau, Kant, and J.S. Mill--have participated in both traditions, although until now their federalist writings have been less-well-known and harder to find.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Karmis and Norman have done a great service to all teachers and students of federalism. Here, finally, is a comprehensive collection of primary texts in the history of federalist thought. From Althusius to Kant, and from The Federalist Papers to Trudeau, the authors of these texts give compelling evidence that federalism is more than just a government technique, that it is in fact a political response to some of the most intractable problems and conflicts facing complex human societies. In addition to the well selected texts, the editors provide introductions with useful suggestions for further reading."
--Dr. Thomas O. Hueglin, Wilfrid Laurier University

"This Reader traces the intellectual evolution of Federalist ideas from the Renaissance era to the present day and takes us on an exciting journey through the ages, charting the normative steps in the federal discourse. I see this collection of essays essentially as a new handbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students wishing to explore the versatility of the federal idea. Reading through it was tantamount to an insight into the adventures of the federal idea that furnished much food for thought and intellectual stimulation."
--Michael Burgess, University of Kent

From the Inside Flap

“Karmis and Norman have done a great service to all teachers and students of federalism. Here, finally, is a comprehensive collection of primary texts in the history of federalist thought. From Althusius to Kant, and from The Federalist Papers to Trudeau, the authors of these texts give compelling evidence that federalism is more than just a government technique, that it is in fact a political response to some of the most intractable problems and conflicts facing complex human societies. In addition to the well selected texts, the editors provide introductions with useful suggestions for further reading.”
--Dr. Thomas O. Hueglin, Wilfrid Laurier University

“This Reader traces the intellectual evolution of Federalist ideas from the Renaissance era to the present day and takes us on an exciting journey through the ages, charting the normative steps in the federal discourse. I see this collection of essays essentially as a new handbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students wishing to explore the versatility of the federal idea. Reading through it was tantamount to an insight into the adventures of the federal idea that furnished much food for thought and intellectual stimulation.”
--Michael Burgess, University of Kent

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; First edition (January 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312295812
• ISBN-13: 978-0312295813
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #549,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)