LIST OF PANELS

This rather open panel will address questions of conflict and co-operation within federal and multi-level political systems.

All federal and multi-level systems are marked by specific kinds of conflict/competition and cooperation. Dual systems tend to be more competitive while interlocking systems tend to more cooperative structures, in particular when the legal framework (constitution) requires cross-level cooperation. The cooperative relations between the levels of government can be regulated by negotiation and bargaining (e.g. US, Canada), or be required by law (e.g. Germany, EU), or by a mix of both. Supreme Courts or Constitutional Courts may play the role of an arbiter in such systems.

The proposed panel is open to address issues of joint decision making across the levels of government, and will focus on different types like consultation, negotiation, cooperative or one-sided decisions.

Beside the decision-making processes themselves further issue can be:

• Intergovernmental fiscal relations: Does the political system provide for revenue sharing, for independent fiscal resources or a mixture of both? Are there dependencies between the levels (e.g. the dependence to the EU from the member states), can one level impose fiscal burdens on the other (e.g. welfare benefits regulated by the federal level but implemented and paid for by the sub-national level)? Who decides in which way about fiscal equalization?
• Education/Science/Research: In most federal/ML-systems the lower/sub-national level of governance is responsible for education, science and research. However, in some systems the national level is entitled (or at least tries) to define national standard. Does the upper level have legal rights which can be enforced? Do the members of the sub-national level cooperate among themselves and with the national level? Is the federal level entitled to finance education, science and research provided by the sub-national level? To which degree does the upper level (including the Commission in the case of the EU) control and steer science and research by a “golden reign”?
• Domestic Security: Criminal behaviour reaches from petti thefts to international organized crime. It is a challenge for all levels of government. What are the relations between the “ordinary” authorities and federal authorities or intergovernmental bodies (like OLAF in the EU)?

Further areas of intergovernmental areas like environmental policies, regional economic promotion, welfare provisions, agriculture … can be added. Suggestions are welcome.

Papers are invited which address cooperative or competitive relations between the level of government in federal and/or Multi-level political systems. The institutional setting of a political system – federal/multi-level or unitary – defines how political decisions are made and how policy delivery is organized. The focus of the papers should be on the impacts of the multi-level decision making and/or policy delivery. Comparisons between multi-level and unitary systems are welcome.

Possible topics of papers could be processes of rule-making (constitutional policies). Which role do the different levels of government in the process of creating or amending a federal constitution?

Also, papers (comparative or single case studies) on policy fields which fall in the jurisdiction of more than one level of governance are most welcome. Topics could be:

• Federal finance, intergovernmental fiscal relations,
• Education, science, research,
• Domestic security and handling of emergencies,
• Environment,
• Regional economic policies,
• Welfare provisions,
• Agriculture
• ….