Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14: MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE
Multilevel governance applies the idea of pluralism and policy networks to the relationships between tiers of
government. It emerges when practitioners from several levels of government share the task of making regulations and forming
policy, usually in conjunction with relevant interests groups. The term is commonly used in the European Union, whose presence
adds a supranational tier to, and strengthens, existing governance networks within member states.
FEDERALISM
Federalism is a form of multilevel governance which shares sovereignty, and not just power, between governments
within a single state. It is constitutional device, presupposing a formal political agreement establishing both the levels of
government and their spheres of authority. Like the constitutions within which they are imbedded, federations are always
deliberate creation. In such a system, legal sovereignty is shared between the federal (or national) government and the constituent
subunits (often called states or provinces).
In addition, Federalism ( from the latin foedus, meaning treaty) is the principle of sharing sovereignty between central and state
( or provincial) governments; a federation in any political system that puts this idea into practice. A confederation is a looser link
between participating countries which retain their separate statehood.
The constitution of a federal state allocates specific functions to each tier. The central takes charge of external relations-defense,
foreign affairs, and immigration – and some common domestic functions such as currency. The functions of states are more
variable but typically include education, law enforcement and local government. Residual power government often lie with the
states, not the central. In nearly all federations, the states have guaranteed voice in the national policy-making through an upper
chamber of the assembly. In that chamber each state normally receives equal or nearly equal representation. The American senate,
with two senators per state is the prototype.
Two distinctions of federalism:

1. Dual Federalism. Originally envisaged in the USA, meant that national and state governments retained separate spheres
of action. Each level independently performed the task allocated to it by the constitution.
2. Comparative federalism. As practiced in Germany, is based on collaboration between levels. National and state
governments are expected to work together as partners in pursuing the interests of the whole. The moral norm under this
system is solidarity and the operating principle is subsidiary.
Subsidiary is the principle that no task should be performed by a large and more complex organization if it can be executed
as well by a smaller, simpler body. The tenet emerged from catholic social thought, where it was invoked to defend the role of
the church and voluntary associations against the encroachment of the welfare state.
Federalism Strength and weakness

Strength
• A practical arrangement for large countries
• Provides checks and balances
• Allows for the recognition of diversity
• Reduces overload at the centre
• Provides competition between provinces and allows citizens to move between them
• Offers opportunities for policy experiments
• Allows small units to corporate in achieving the economic and military advantages of size
• Brings government closer to the people
Weaknesses
• Maybe less effective in responding to security threats
• Decision-making is slow and complicated: trouble, expense and delay’
• Can entrench divisions between provinces
• The centre experiences greater difficulty in launching national initiatives
• How citizens are treated depends on where they live
• Complicates accountability: who is responsible?
• May permit majorities within a province to exploit a minority
• Basing representation in the upper chamber on states violates the principle of one person, one vote
THE EUROPEAN UNION: A SPECIAL CASE

The case for admitting the EU to the federal family is certainly substantial. Shared sovereignty is the core feature of
federalism and by this test the Union already possesses a broadly federal status. Like the United States, the European Union
has a strong legal basis in the treaties on which it is founded. The influential European Court of Justice, just like America's
Supreme Court adjudicates disputes between levels of government. In both cases, court decisions apply directly to citizens
must be implemented by member government and take priority over states laws.
But, points against interpreting the EU as federalism in contrast to the USA is quite unusual these are the following:
- The USA possesses a single currency and freedom of movement but these goals have only been partly achieved within EU:
- The EU is still governed by treaties between states whereas the United States was founded on a constitution:
- Where the USA was designed as a federation from the start the EU was built on agreeing concrete polices, particularly for a
single market, with federation as faded aspiration:
- Where the USA fought a civil war to preserve its union, the EU has not faced this vital test nor, without its own military
force, as it in any position to do so;
- The EU possesses a unicameral parliament whereas the USA, like the legislature of other federations is bicameral.
Four additional points against a federal interpretation of the Union:
- The EU does not tax its citizens directly. It main revenue sources a key on the gross national income of member states.
- Member states have retained national control of the vital areas of foreign and defense policy, including the use of armed
force:
- Member states retain individual membership of intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations:
- If the EU were true federation with a coherent central government. Henry Kissinger would not need to have asked his
famous question, "When I want to speak to Europe, who do I telephone?".
Insofar as the EU is a union of previously sovereign states created by treaty in which supranational institutions exist but
whose range of powers fall short of the powers exercised by their counterparts in federal system, it may be thought of as a
confederation and less as federal system.
UNITARY STATES
Most states are unitary, meaning that sovereignty lies exclusively with the central government. In this hierarchical
arrangement, the national government possesses the theoretical authority to abolish lower levels. Subnational administration,
whether regional or local, may take as well as implement policy, but they do so by leave of the central. As a result of central
supremacy, the national legislature in most unitary states has only one chamber since there is no need for a second house to
represent entrenched provinces.
Three broad ways in which unitary states disperse power from the central government:
Methods for distributing power away from the central
• Deconcentration - Central government functions are executed by staff in the field
Ex. Most US federal civilian employs work away from Washington, DC
• Decentralization- Central government functions are executed by subnational authorities
Ex. Local government administer national welfare programmes in Scandivia
• Devolution- Central government grant some decision making autonomy to lower levels
Ex. Regional governments in France, Italy, and Spain
REGIONAL GOVERNANCE
The regional level standing between central and local authority. Regions became a vehicle through which the central
could decentralize planning, with regional bodies taking responsibility for economic development and related public in
infrastructure, notably transport.
In order European unitary state, the coordinating function of administrative region has advanced further. Regions are
providing a valuable misolevel perspective below that of the country as a whole but above that of local areas.
The misolevel is the intermediate, typically regional layer of government located between national and local levels. Meso
from the greek mesos ,meaning middle.
LOCAL GOVERNANCE
Local government is universal , found in federal and unitary and states and a like. It is the lowest level of the elected
territorial organization within the state. Variously called communes period municipalities or parishes , local government are
the day-to-day activity of the politics and government gets done.
General competence- is that author at of a local government to make regulations in many matters of concern to its area.
Where general competence is lacking , local authorities are restricted to those expressly mandated by higher authority.
Enabling authority- is a term used to summarize one vision of local governance. Such as authority does not provide many
services itself. Rather, its concerns are to coordinate the provisions of services and to represent the community both within
and beyond its territory. An enablin authority is stragetic contracting out services provisions to private agencies, with the
voluntary or profit-making.
Prepect- is an officials appointed by the central government to oversee the implementation of national policy in a particular
areas. The prefectoral system was originally designed to encourage policy and f unformally and local allegiance.
Cities- within cities themselves, rich and poor as well as native and immigrant coexist aneasily. Creating demands for public
services. In addition, the international competitiveness of the capital calls for reinforcement through public policy.

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CHAPTER 14: MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE

Two distinctions of federalism:

Federalism Strength and weakness

THE EUROPEAN UNION: A SPECIAL CASE

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