The Rules of Federalism

Reviews / Votes

R. Daniel Kelemen's The Rules of Federalism is an important contribution to both the literature on federalism and on the European Union. It makes an original theoretical and empirical contribution to our understanding of regulatory federalism and sheds new light on the federal systems which it compares. It will open up new avenues of inquiry. -- Alberta Sbragia, University of Pittsburgh The Rules of Federalism makes a significant contribution to the literature on regulatory federalism. Kelemen's original theoretical perspective is made plausible through a series of fascinating case studies. The book will be of interest to scholars of federalism, constitutional design, environmental policy, and the European Union. -- Susan Rose-Ackerman, Yale Law School Kelemen defines the European Union (EU) as a federal polity whose principle legislative function is to make social regulations. He develops a theory of regulatory federalism and applies it to the EU on the basis of a broad comparative analysis of the implementation of environmental regulations in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the U.S....[An] outstanding contribution to the literature on federalism and policy. The first chapter, the theoretical chapter, is worth the price of the book alone. -- A. F. Johnson * Choice * This is an impressive achievement. -- Robert T. Nakamura * Publius * In this engaging, clearly written volume, Daniel Kelemen synthesizes and elaborates a theoretical model that contributes to several literatures. As a study of the European Union, it stands at the logical endpoint of a growing trend toward the application of analytical tools drawn from conventional comparative politics. As an account of governmental institutions, the broad analytic narrative breaks new ground in sorting out the consequences of federalism. As an analysis of public policy, especially environmental policy, the book offers a new argument about the institutional sources of regulatory politics...As a comparative study of the institutional politics of regulation, The Rules of Federalism is in several ways an exemplary work. Rarely has a comparative framework done more to illuminate the properties of the European Union, or to put the case of the EU to work in the service of more general theoretical analyses of politics and policy...The analysis also takes a decisive step beyond descriptive comparison of regulatory styles toward historical institutional explanation of their sources...Kelemen elaborates a point of view that should help recast debates about the nature of European integration...The theoretical contributions and innovative comparative design of this study make it an important addition to the literature on comparative public policy and comparative federalism. Although it is unlikely to settle the vigorous ongoing debates about the nature of the EU, it offers a significant new perspective that is must reading for scholars working on the subject. -- Jeffrey M. Sellers * Perspectives on Politics * Daniel Kelemen's sober assessment of federal governance in the EU, the U.S., Germany, Canada, and Australia is refreshing...He proves himself a clear-sighted and profound scholar of German federalism...His conclusion, according to which the EU is moving along a path in the direction of American-style federalism, is well-founded and therefore thought-provoking. -- Olaf Poeschke * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *