By studying constitutional policy as a complex process and by focusing on the organization of constitutional negotiations, the book makes a valuable contribution to the quest for federal robustness, a research agenda that is still in the making.

Johanna Schnabel (University of Lausanne), Swiss Political Science Review Vol.24.1

The search for a robust balance of power is a continuous challenge for multilevel political system. Institutions like parliaments or courts can protect the existing order. However, necessary adjustments to economic, social, or international challenges or policies determined to improve ineffective structures or to prevent disintegration require constitutional amendments. Whereas constitutional policy appears as essential to maintain balance, changing a constitution is rather difficult in multilevel governments. Due to the veto power of many actors pursuing divergent interests, policies aiming to redistribute power or fiscal resources risk to end in the joint decision trap. Hence, multilevel government is confronted by a fundamental dilemma. Constitutional Policy in Multilevel Government compares processes of constitutional reform in federal and regionalized states. Based on a theoretical framework emphasizing the relevance of negotiations in parliamentary, intergovernmental, and societal arenas, it identifies conditions for successful reforms and explains the consequences of failed reforms. Moreover, it highlights the interplay of reform processes and constitutional evolution as essential to maintaining a robust balance of power. The book demonstrates that an appropriate arrangement of multiple arenas of negotiation including executives, members of parliament and civil society organizations, and sequential order of reform processes proves fundamental to prevent federal or regionalized governments from becoming either instable or ending with rigid constitutions. Transformations in Governance is a major new academic book series from Oxford University Press. It is designed to accommodate the impressive growth of research in comparative politics, international relations, public policy, federalism, environmental and urban studies concerned with the dispersion of authority from central states up to supranational institutions, down to subnational governments, and side-ways to public-private networks. It brings together work that significantly advances our understanding of the organization, causes, and consequences of multilevel and complex governance. The series is selective, containing annually a small number of books of exceptionally high quality by leading and emerging scholars. The series targets mainly single-authored or co-authored work, but it is pluralistic in terms of disciplinary specialization, research design, method, and geographical scope. Case studies as well as comparative studies, historical as well as contemporary studies, and studies with a national, regional, or international focus are all central to its aims. Authors use qualitative, quantitative, formal modeling, or mixed methods. A trade mark of the books is that they combine scholarly rigour with readable prose and an attractive production style. The series is edited by Liesbet Hooghe and Gary Marks of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the VU Amsterdam, and Walter Mattli of the University of Oxford.
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This volume compares processes of constitutional reform in federal and regionalized states.
1: Introduction 2: Theoretical Framework and Research Design 3: Arthur Benz with Andrea Fischer-Hotzel and Bettina Petersohn: Constitutional Problems and Reform Agendas in Federal and Regionalized States 4: Arthur Benz with Dominic Heinz, Eike Hornig, Andrea Fischer-Hotzel, and Bettina Petersohn: Patterns of Constitutional Policy in Multilevel Government - Case Studies 5: Arthur Benz with with Jörg Kemmerzell and Bettina Petersohn: Ratification and Ratification Failure: The Impact of Amendment Rules 6: Constitutional Reform and Implicit Change 7: Explaining Success and Failure of Constitutional Policy 8: Conclusions
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By studying constitutional policy as a complex process and by focusing on the organization of constitutional negotiations, the book makes a valuable contribution to the quest for federal robustness, a research agenda that is still in the making.
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Provides a comprehensive and innovative theoretical approach Compares important processes of constitutional change in different countries Systematically explores processes of constitutional change in multilevel government
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Arthur Benz is Professor of Political Science at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Before moving to Darmstadt, he was a Professor at the universities of Konstanz, Halle, and Hagen, and a visiting scholar at Carleton University Ottawa. His recent publications include Federal Dynamic (Oxford 2013, co-edited with Jörg Broschek), and he has published journal articles in European Political Science Review, Publius, West European Politics, and Regional and Federal Studies.
Les mer
Provides a comprehensive and innovative theoretical approach Compares important processes of constitutional change in different countries Systematically explores processes of constitutional change in multilevel government
Les mer

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780198786078
Publisert
2016
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press
Vekt
544 gr
Høyde
240 mm
Bredde
162 mm
Dybde
21 mm
Aldersnivå
U, P, 05, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
288

Forfatter

Biographical note

Arthur Benz is Professor of Political Science at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Before moving to Darmstadt, he was a Professor at the universities of Konstanz, Halle, and Hagen, and a visiting scholar at Carleton University Ottawa. His recent publications include Federal Dynamic (Oxford 2013, co-edited with Jörg Broschek), and he has published journal articles in European Political Science Review, Publius, West European Politics, and Regional and Federal Studies.