Federalism and Democracy

This panel invites scholars to critically reflect on the complex yet changing and complementary relationships between federalism and democracy by drawing on varied experiences from across the world. Theoretical accounts and the case-based studies are also encouraged that have comparative significance. Our questions include: why federalism fails even in a democracy? Why democracy does not always back up federalism? How are federal democracies coping up with the challenges of rising authoritarianism? Why federalism very often predominates over democracy? Can federalism save democracy? We invite original and thought-provoking accounts also of the particular designs and the functioning of federalism in democracies that can include the political behaviour of regional governments vis-à-vis the federal government; areas of conflicts between the two sets of government; and the issue of centralization, and decentralization in ethnically diverse countries.