The paradox of federalism and its many (friendly) faces: A synthesis of conflict indicators against the background of decentralization in Belgium
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54195/plc.24739Keywords:
Belgium, Conflict-Management, Decentralization, Federalism, Paradox of FederalismAbstract
While holding together federalism is often viewed as a tool for managing conflict in divided societies, concerns exist about its counter-productiveness – the so-called ‘paradox of federalism’ (Erk & Anderson, 2010). This study adds to the substantive yet fragmented body of research by highlighting the diversity of indicators of conflict and stability and by demonstrating the value of an integrated approach. Challenging the notion of a singular paradox, we provide an encompassing synthesis of new and existing indicators that are typically examined in isolation. Empirically, the focus is on Belgium – a former unitary state that evolved into one of the world’s most decentralised federations. Indicators are clustered on three levels: intergovernmental dynamics, self-rule, and shared-rule pressures. The results provide a nuanced evaluation of conflict dynamics against the background of decentralisation in a fragile and bipolar federation. We conclude that (1) support for the paradox thesis varies depending on the indicator at hand, while more generally, (2) empirical evidence for conflict escalation is scarce.
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