Federalism, Anarchism, Altruism: Territorial Lobbying the US, Canada, Germany and Switzerland

This paper dissects the philosophical roots of federalism under the twin prism of anarchism and altruism. Federalism is usually understood to mean territorial autonomy, self-determination, policy experimentation, and tolerance of differences. However, this anarchic aspect is only one side of the federal coin, the other being cooperation, power-sharing, and solidarity. In understanding federalism this way, important consequences for how we approach federal political systems arise. More particularly, this paper analyses how and why regional actors try to influence federal decision-making in four countries: The US, Canada, Germany and Switzerland. Linked to studies of political culture and party politics, it thus becomes possible to better understand federal dynamics when it comes to one of the most important processes: the distribution of national funds across the territory.