Institute of Intergovernmental Relations (IIGR) Faculty Publications
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Item Revisiting Equalization Again: RTS vs. Macro Approaches(Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, 2002) Boadway, RobinEqualization is a very common policy instrument around the world. Virtually all federations have formal equalization systems, with the notable exception of the USA. Many unitary states with multi-level governments have sophisticated equalization systems, such as Japan, the Scandinavian countries, and South Africa. As well, forms of equalization exist between provinces and their local governments. The design of equalization systems differs according to circumstances. Many are based on some variant of a needs-based formula, especially in countries where sub-national governments have relatively limited revenue-raising ability and rely on the system of equalizing transfers to finance their expenditures. The Canadian case is relatively unique in basing equalization on revenue-raising capacity alone. Nonetheless, the principles on which the needs-based approaches are calculated parallels the logic of the representative tax system (RTS) approach. That is, entitlements are calculated according to the amount of money that would be required to finance the representative set of public services at a common set of costs, where the services are those actually provided by the provinces.Item The Case for Switching to a Macro Formula(Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, 2002) Usher, DanToday, the provinces' entitlements to equalization payments are determined in accordance with what is called "the representative tax system". Over the years, a number of critics have proposed a switch to what is called "the macro formula". The proposal is now under consideration by the Ministry of Finance. My concern here is not with the pros and cons of the equalization program per se, but with the pros and cons of the two formulas for determining each province's entitlement. There are problems with both formulas, but I believe that the macro formula is preferable on balance.Item The Federal Idea and its Contemporary Relevance [Lecture](Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, 2007) Watts, Ronald L.In the contemporary world, federalism as a political idea has become increasingly important. This arises from its potential as a way of peacefully reconciling unity and diversity within a single political system. The reasons for this popularity can be found in the changing nature of the world leading to simultaneous pressures for both larger states and also for smaller ones. Modern developments in transportation, social communications, technology, industrial organisations, globalisation and knowledge-based and hence learning societies, have all contributed to this trend. Thus, there have developed two powerful, thoroughly interdependent, yet distinct and often actually opposed motives: the desire to build dynamic and efficient national or even supra-national modern states, and the search for distinctive identities. The former is generated by the goals and values shared by most Western and non-Western societies today: a desire for progress, a rising standard of living, social justice, influence in the world arena, participation in the global economic network, and a growing awareness of worldwide interdependence in an era that makes both mass destruction and mass construction possible. The latter arises from the desire for smaller, directly accountable, self-governing political units, more responsive to the individual citizen, and from the desire to give expression to primary group attachments—linguistic and cultural ties, religious connections, historical traditions, and social practices—which provide the distinctive basis for a community’s sense of identity and yearning for self-determination.Item Decentralization and Recentralization:Recent Developments in Russian Fiscal Federalism(Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, 2007) Watts, Ronald L.This study represents the third and final report in a three-phase series of reports. In the first phase undertaken under the joint supervision of Professors Robin Boadway and Ronald Watts on behalf of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen’s University, four studies were undertaken on intergovernmental fiscal relations in Canada, the United States and Germany, the fourth being a comprehensive comparative overview of these three examples. In the second phase, a study of intergovernmental relations in eight further countries was undertaken. The resulting report covered two mature developed federations, Switzerland and Australia, four transitional federations, Brazil, India, South Africa and Spain, and two decentralized unitary systems, Sweden and Japan. That report also included comparative references to the three mature federations covered in the earlier first phase. This current report represents the third and final phase of the project. It is a comparative review of the evolving institutional relationships within the Russian Federation, comparing these to the countries covered in the previous studies.Item The Historical Development of Comparative Federal Studies(Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, 2007) Watts, Ronald L.Political events in various parts of the world during the past two decades have attracted increasing attention to comparative federal studies. But the comparative scholarly literature attempting to assess the nature of federalism and to understand such issues as the theory and practice of federalism, the strengths and weaknesses of federal political solutions, the design and operation of various federal systems and the processes of political integration and disintegration has a long history. This paper will trace that history and the development of the comparative study of federalism, federal political systems and federations as a background for the following chapters which examine federal theories and the methodologies that have been employed in these studies. Much of the scholarly study of federalism has taken the form of examining individual federations and from these a wealth of valuable insights has been gained. This paper, however, focuses specifically upon comparative federal studies.