The release of this book in 1987 prompted a flurry of excellent and complimentary reviews furthering Elazar’s already considerable reputation as the leading contemporary scholar of federalism.
PrefaceWhy Federalism?Federalism and the Origins of the PolityThe Federal IdeaThe Federalist RevolutionFederalism, Conflict Resolution, and Political IntegrationFederalism and Intergovernmental RelationsFederalism and ConsociationalismFederalism in Light of Contemporary Political and Social ScienceWhat Is Federalism?The Federal Matrix and Contrasting ModelsThe Variety of Federal ArrangementsFederalism as Unity and DiversityFederalism as Structure and ProcessSocial, Territorial, and Cultural Expressions of FederalismFederalism as Means and EndFederalism as Limited or ComprehensiveWhat Is Federalism Designed to Achieve?Federalism and PluralismFederalism and LibertyFederalism, Pluralism, and LibertyFour Levels of EndsFederalism, Republicanism, and DemocracyThe Worldwide Federalist RevolutionFederal Ideas and FormsThe History of Federalism and the Federal IdeaAncient Expressions of FederalismMedieval EffortsThe Federalist Revival in the ReformationFederalism, Centralization, and State-Building in the Modern EpochModern Federal Theory and New Federal ExperimentsFederalism: The Present State of the ArtThe Elements of FederalismFederalism as a Basis of Political AssociationThe Requisites of Federal SystemsMaintaining UnionMaintaining NoncentralizationMaintaining the Federal PrincipleLocal Government in Federal SystemsAntecedent Influences on Contemporary Federal SystemsThinking Federal: The Role of Political CultureCentralizing and Decentralizing Trends in Contemporary Federal SystemsThe Complexities of Centralization in Federal SystemsOverall TendenciesPolicy Making and ImplementationPolicy-Making BodiesInstitutional ResponsesParties and Party SystemsInterim ConclusionsWill the Postmodern Epoch Be an Era of Federalism?Whither the Modern Nation-State?Federal Accommodation of Peoples and PublicsFederalism in the Third WorldWhy Federations FailedWhy Federations SucceededAccommodating DiversityStrengthening LibertySpreading Economic DevelopmentThe Future of Federalism in the Third WorldUrbanization and the Future of FederalismToward a New State SystemThe Postmodern Epoch and the Federalist RevolutionNotesSelected BibliographyIndex
Daniel J. Elazar is director, Center for the Study of Federalism, Temple University.
“No contemporary scholar has observed as many federations at first hand or written so prolifically about federalism as Daniel Elazar….Exploring Federalism is the fruit of Elazar’s mature experience and reflection and is a dauntingly comprehensive and erudite book.” —American Political Science Review
“An excellent book…. Elazar diligently explores the roots of federalism, traces its historical development through three stages and then describes how it has and can be employed to promote workable and effective government systems in nations with people of diverse tradition.” —The Journal of Politics
"Elazar extends his sights beyond American federalism, about which he is widely achnowledged to be the leading expert, to a masterful discussion of federal government in general…. A remarkable tour de force of scholarship from beginning to end, characterized by Elazar’s lucid writing.” —CHOICE
