The Federal Idea and its Contemporary Relevance [Lecture]
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Authors
Watts, Ronald L.
Date
2007
Type
other
Language
en
Keyword
Ronald L. Watts Collection
Alternative Title
Abstract
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.
Description
An earlier version was delivered as The Centre for Federal Studies Annual Lecture The University of Kent, Canterbury, England, 12 October 2006.
Citation
Publisher
Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations