The main trends of federalism in the 20th century

Hello everyone,

The APROFED association is contacting you again this week to share an article published in 2003 by Ronald L Watts entitled: The main trends of federalism in the 20th century, which you can find at the link below:

The main trends in federalism in the 20th century | Cairn.info

In it, we learn, among other things, that:

– During the 20th century , 24 countries organized themselves into federal political systems

– The success of the federal solution was particularly significant between 1945 and 1960, as well as during the last decade (1990-2000)

The first modern federation, the United States, founded in 1789 and the longest-running in existence today, was created in the 18th century . Switzerland, in 1848, and Canada, in 1867, followed suit in the 19th century . These three federations continue to function and are currently listed

among the most stable constitutional regimes in the world.

– It was during the 20th century , particularly in its second half, that federal political systems truly proliferated. The Australian federation was the first to be established at the beginning of the century.

– Today, these federations together represent 40% of the world’s population and some 480 constituent units or federation states.

– Before 1949, the general attitude showed a certain disdain for a federal form of government. Many people, particularly in Europe, considered federation as an incomplete form of national government, as a transitional mode of political organization, as a concession – not really desirable but necessary in exceptional cases – to reconcile political disagreements.

– In 1953, Max Beloff could assert that the federal idea enjoyed “such unprecedented popularity ”. One reason for this success was the great prosperity experienced in the post-war period by the oldest federations such as the United States, Switzerland, Canada and Australia.

The success of the federal idea after 1945 was also fueled by the conditions that accompanied the dismantling of colonial empires at that time. New states were on the path to independence. Both political leaders and nationalist independence movements, as well as colonial administrators, found in the “federal solution” a popular formula, offering common ground to proponents of both centralization and decentralization.

– World War II had revealed the disasters caused by ultra-nationalism,

– The fifteen years following 1945 thus proved to be the years of the apogee of the federal idea. In both developed and developing countries, the “federal solution” was perceived as a way of reconciling two powerful and often antagonistic motives: the desire, on the one hand, for larger political units indispensable for rebuilding a dynamic and efficient modern state, and on the other hand, the quest for identity by smaller autonomous political units.

– federalism as a liberating and positive form of political organization.

– A renewed interest in federalism in the 1990s? A significant factor was the recognition that an increasingly globalized economy had unleashed economic and political forces that weakened the traditional nation-state. The nation-state was proving to be both too small and too large to fulfill the wishes of its citizens.

– Furthermore, in their annual index published in mid-2001 8 – evaluating more than 160 countries – the United Nations included four federations (Australia, Canada, Belgium and the United States) among the top six in terms of quality of life, followed very closely by Switzerland and Germany.

– Recent empirical comparative studies highlight that federal regimes stand out from unitary states in the quality of their governance and the results achieved. These include better macroeconomic performance such as higher growth rates and lower inflationary pressures, as well as more genuinely democratic governance and political stability.

– Federal political systems offer a way to realize the advantages of unity and diversity

– The effectiveness of a federal political system depends not only on its constitutional structure but much more on public acceptance of the political culture of federalism, the need to appreciate diversity and promote mutual respect, a sense of belonging to the community with its rules, respect for constitutional norms, and a spirit of tolerance and compromise

– the inevitable interdependence of the various governments that form a federal partnership. Governmental interdependence is inherent to any federal political system

– Federalism allows for the promotion of intergovernmental cooperation that does not stifle autonomy

– There is no universally applicable ideal form of federal model. The application of the federal idea has seen many variations.

– a number of federations enshrine in their constitution a status and powers devolved to local authorities as a third level of government

– federations are never static but must constantly evolve to meet changing needs and environments.

– Federalism in the 21st century will require a renewed commitment from each generation to achieve once again the appropriate federal balance between unity and diversity

You will notice that it contains certain words commonly used in the New Caledonian debate on the future of the Territory, such as autonomy and interdependence . The role of local authorities ( municipalities ) is also addressed.

Federalism is therefore the only option that can meet these expectations.

Wishing you a pleasant read and reminding you that federalism is the only solution to reconcile unity in diversity.

The APROFED association