This title was first published in 2003.Investigating the impact of federal structure on fiscal policy-making in four country cases, this book answers the question as to what extent federal structures hinder or, on the contrary, enhance a state's decision and co-ordination capacity in the field of fiscal policy. It questions the common assumption that federal structures restrain the co-ordination and hence macroeconomic management capacity. Well-documented and meticulously presented, this book will be useful for all those working in the field of policy research, and more generally for those who wish not only to attain a deeper and more comprehensive view on fiscal policy making or federalism, but on the territorial dimension of fiscal policy.

Dietmar Braun is Professor of Political Science at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques et Internationales, Université de Lausanne

Contents: Federal Fiscal Constitution and Intergovernmental Relationships: Introduction; Federal fiscal constitutions; Intergovernmental relationships. Fiscal Policy-Making: Fiscal policy-making in Canada; Fiscal policy-making in Germany; Contrasted cases: Canada and Germany; Fiscal policy-making in Belgium; Fiscal policy-making in Switzerland. Conclusions: How constraining is federalism in fiscal policy-making? Appendix: Fiscal policies from the 1970s to the 1990s; Notes; Bibliography; Index.