What Key Issues Lie Ahead as Federations Move Forward with Digitalization?

SPECIAL SERIES: Digitalization of Public Administration in Federal Countries – Author: Maeva Anoma: Today, rapid and constant technological advancements allow us to access multiple services right from the comfort of our couches. For example, we can order groceries, shop for clothes, rent cars, and have products delivered directly to our homes. As these technologies increasingly help citizens in their daily lives, and become an integral part of the operations of business, people are beginning to expect similar levels of digital services from their governments. Digitalizing the public sector can allow federal countries to provide effective, efficient, reliable, and rapid services across different levels of government.

Does Government Digitalization Lead to Greater Centralization in Federations?

SPECIAL SERIES: Digitalization of Public Administration in Federal Countries – Author: Éric Desrochers: During the Digitalization of Public Administration in Federal Countries workshop, scholars and practitioners of government digitalization presented case studies touching on various aspects of the relationship between e-government and centralization in federal and quasi-federal countries.

The Relationship between Digitalization and Decentralization in Federations

SPECIAL SERIES: Digitalization of Public Administration in Federal Countries – Author: Aracelly Denise Granja: The role digitalization plays within the governments of federal countries has been a rising topic of interest in public administration. Particularly, researchers, policymakers, and public servants have sought to determine whether there is a causal relationship between the digitalization of public administration in federations and increased levels of decentralization.

Benefit or Barrier? The Effects of Federalism on Digitalization in Public Administration

SPECIAL SERIES: Digitalization of Public Administration in Federal Countries – Author: Valere Gaspard. When discussing the process of the digitalization of public administrations in federal states, a fundamental question is continuously posed in the background: what is the relationship between federalism and digitalization?

The Enemy of Good Governance – The Relationship Between Corruption and Federalism

Author: Kamila Kolodziejczyk – We live in a world in which acts of corruption and abuse of power by individuals who actively leverage positions of official authority and influence for personal benefit challenge the ability of governments to effectively meet the needs of people. Despite the near-universal condemnation of corruption by citizens, media, politicians and international organizations, abuses continue to plague governance systems worldwide.

Queerness, Gender Equality, and Federalism in Southeast Asia: Important Challenges and Progress Towards Inclusive Federalism

Author: Jerry Dave Ntwari – The marginalization of individuals based on gender identity is a pressing concern faced by minority populations all around the world. Analyzing the role played by federal governance in mitigating the inequalities which arise from this marginalization is an area that requires greater attention, especially with regard to the challenges faced by women and queer people in both federal and non-federal countries.  

Federalism: Boon or Bane for Childcare? A Look at the Global North and Global South

Author: Angelina Romanchik – Childcare is emerging as a key area of policy interest for many governments across the globe, particularly in the wake of the pressures that the COVID-19 pandemic instigated on the family unit. Childcare is a distinct policy field, but one that also cuts across other significant areas of governmental responsibility: health, education, and social welfare. Federal systems of government, by virtue of the fact that approximately forty percent of the world’s population live in federations, play a significant role in the provision and efficacy of childcare globally. Both the development and implementation of childcare policy requires a successful collaborative effort between all levels of government. Often, multilevel governance can hinder the effective actualization of these policies, and this reality can be observed in global north countries such as Canada, Germany and Switzerland. Global south countries like Brazil, India, and South Africa also see similar issues between government systems and the realization of social policy. The trends observed amongst the aforementioned federations in the global north and global south highlight intersecting similarities and challenges which have implications for childcare policy development and service delivery. Exploring and understanding the relationship between governance and childcare policy in federations provides an opportunity to re-evaluate how child welfare and development is approached in federal and federal-type systems. In late 2021, the Forum conducted an international comparative research project on this very topic. Increased knowledge of policy and practice in federations can support identification of dynamics that impact childcare provision and quality, and thus pave the way for improvements in childcare delivery by federal and subnational governments in both the global north and global south.

Federalism and Climate Change: An Ever-Changing Approach to a Never-Changing Problem?

Author: Tamoghna Sengupta – Over the course of time, the issue of climate change has taken center stage as an alarming cause of earth’s deterioration. Climate change is a long-term shift or a global change in the earth’s climate pattern. Since the Industrial Revolution, anthropogenic activities have catalyzed the process of change within the climate. As a result of the increased impacts of climate change on ecosystems and extreme weather, governments have started taking initiatives in order to combat the growing challenges that humans consequently face for survival. The results of climate change are felt globally and require collective action by governments of all countries, irrespective of whether their governance structure is unitary or federal. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that some of the initiatives in federal countries have been ineffective, as the policies adopted have been insufficient in producing a solution that would tackle the issue at a larger scale. In order to understand some of the shortcomings, the article will delve into some of the challenges that federal governance systems face in combatting climate change and the actions that have been adapted as restorative measures.