For more than two centuries federalism has provided an example of how people can live together even as they maintain their diversity. The Handbook of Federal Countries, 2005 continues the tradition started by the 2002 edition, updating and building on the work of Ronald Watts and Daniel Elazar in providing a comparative examination of countries with federal tendencies.

Unique in its timely scope and depth, this volume begins with a foreword by Forum President Bob Rae that reflects on the importance of the federal idea in the contemporary world and provides an excellent introduction to federalism. New comparative chapters examine the recent draft constitutional treaty in Europe and the possibility of federalism being adopted in two countries with longstanding violent conflicts - Sri Lanka and Sudan.

As a project of the Forum of Federations, an international network seeking to strengthen democratic governance through federal values, practices, and principles, the 2005 handbook is an essential sourcebook of information, with maps and statistical tables in each chapter. The international authors examine a wide range of themes including the development of federalism in the country, the constitutional provisions relating to federalism, and the country's current political dynamics. The authors also include sources readers can consult for more information.

Contributors include Dirk Anthony Ballendorf (University of Guam), Kaiser Bengali (Social Policy and Development Centre, Pakistan), Allan Brewer-Carias (Columbia University), David Cameron (University of Toronto), Valeriano Mendes Ferreira Costa (São Paulo - Brasil), Mihailo Crnobrnja (special advisor, Government of Serbia), Rohan Edrisinha (University of Colombo), Ann Griffiths (Dalhousie University), Siobhan Harty (Department of Social Development, Ottawa), Rudolf Hrbek (University of Tuebingen, Germany), Paul King (Management Systems International, Nigeria), André Lecours (Concordia University), George Mathew (Institute for Social Sciences, India), Gordon Means (emeritus, McMaster University), Yemile Mizrahi (Washington, DC), Viviana Patroni (York University), Tom Pätz (Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit), Cesare Pinelli (University of Macerata), Cheryl Saunders (University of Melbourne), Sanford Schram (Bryn Mawr College), Lee Seymour (Northwestern University), Julie Simmons (University of Guelph), Thomas Stauffer (University of Fribourg), Roland Sturm (University of Erlangen-Nurnberg), Janis van der Westhuizen (Stellenbosch University), Gary Wilson (University of Northern British Columbia), and Marie-Joelle Zahar (Université de Montréal).

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