Der Band dokumentiert die Jahrestagung der „International Association of Centres for Federal Studies (IACFS)" und der „International Political Science Association (IPSA)", die im November 2002 an der Universität Innsbruck stattfand. Neben länderbezogenen Untersuchungen zu Südafrika, Österreich und den USA finden sich grundsätzliche Analysen zum Thema Föderalismus. Aus dem Inhalt: John Kincaid: Smashing the Twin Relics of Barbarism - Slavery and Polygamy: Rejecting Territorial Multiculturalism in American Federalism (1-21) Ferdinand Kinsky: Crisis of Democracy - Is Federalism a Solution? (23-34) Nico Steytler: Homogeneity from the Bottom up - the Shaping of National Policy by Provinces: A South African Case Study (35-51) Robert Agranoff: The Emerging Theory of Federal Autonomy and its Challenges (53-81) Marshall DeRosa: The American Rule of Law and Secession: Juridical Ties That Bind and Divide (83-110) Thomas O. Hueglin: Compound Federal Democracy (111-124) Anna Gamper: The Principle of Homogeneity and Democracy in Austrian Federalism: The Constitutional Court's Ruling on Direct Democracy in Vorarlberg (125-139) Dimosthenis Mammonas: Articles 6 para 3 of the EU Treaty and 151 para 4 of the EC Treaty: „How the EU Takes into Account National Identity and Cultural Diversity in its Action unter the Treaties" (141-154)