Europäisches Zentrum für Föderalismus-Forschung

Außereuropäische Länderberichte

Föderalismus in Kanada: Pfadabhängigkeiten und Entwicklungswege

Jörg Broschek / Rainer-Olaf Schultze

S. 333-366

While federal systems are subject to dynamic changes, these do not necessarily lead to political centralization and/or social homogenization. The Canadian polity is a case in point. Its evolution has been influenced by centripetal as well as centrifugal forces.
The paper shows in detail the interplay of these opposing forces in shaping the direction of Canadian federalism. Its history since 1867 can be separated into four phases, which are marked by differences in functions, patterns of interaction, policy output and integrative capacity. During the first two phases of dual/classical federalism (1867-1910) and cooperative federalism (1930/35-1968), the integrative tendencies outweighed the centrifugal forces. In contrast, the periods of contested federalism (1976-1984) and collaborative federalism (since 1993) have been dominated by the continuous de-centering of the Canadian federal state, forcing the political elites to experiment with new forms of joint decision-making in a multi-level system of governance.

Zitiervorschlag für diesen Artikel:
Broschek, Jörg/Schultze, Rainer-Olaf 2003: Föderalismus in Kanada: Pfadabhängigkeiten und Entwicklungswege, in: Europäisches Zentrum für Föderalismus-Forschung (Hrsg.): Jahrbuch des Föderalismus 2003. Föderalismus, Subsidiarität und Regionen in Europa, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, S. 333-366.