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Parliament house, Sydney, along with images of the authors

11 February 2026

Who Really Shapes Affordable Housing Policy in Federal States? Mapping Responsibility Beyond Formal Authority

Summarising their recent article in Regional & Federal Studies, Johanna Schnabel and Antonios Souris explore who actually shapes affordable housing policy in federal states. They develop a framework assessing responsibility across governmental tiers by examining control over social housing and housing allowances, alongside legislative authority, funding, and implementation. Applying it to Austria, Australia, Canada, and Germany, they show that effective control often diverges from formal authority, highlighting how institutional interaction and political choices determine centralization and accountability.

Image of two paper planes taking different routes

Centre on Constitutional Change

29 January 2026

Two narratives of Scotland’s policy performance

After its pre-election budget on 13 January, the Scottish Government faces unenviable dilemmas resulting from the mark 2 version of devolution it accepted after the independence referendum.

Aerial view of Berlin with the title of the blogpost and authors

Regional and Federal Studies

06 January 2026

How interest groups lobby on multiple levels to influence national laws in Germany

When interest groups want to influence national legislation, they typically focus on federal ministries and parliament. But in countries with multiple layers of government, lobbyists have additional options. Regionalization and European integration have created various channels for political communication, allowing groups to pursue influence across subnation-al, national, and supranational tiers of authority.

Image of a Japanese street and of the authors

Regional and Federal Studies

16 December 2025

Japan’s new sub-capital plan: regional revival, disaster insurance or the start of a Tokyo–Osaka mega-region?

The formation of Japan’s new government in October marked two turning points: the election of its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and a new coalition between the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the reformist Japan Innovation Party (Ishin no Kai). Takaichi’s election drew global attention, but less noticed abroad was the tie-up with a new regionalist partner determined to elevate Osaka’s stature.

Our Events

An image of windows in a housing block, with event details

26 February 2026, 2:30pm

Social Security and Poverty

This webinar will bring together Academics Stand Against Poverty UK election auditors with academics from Wales and Scotland to discuss current challenges in relation to poverty and flourishing, reflecting on the post General Election period and looking ahead to the Devolved Parliament elections.

Image of the Scottish Parliament, with text describing the event

09 February 2026, 1:00pm

Was Scottish devolution broken from the start?

Join Dr. David Rogers, the former Constitution and Cabinet Director at the Scottish Government, for a talk and Q&A session

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23 January 2026, 10:00am

Roundtable: An interdisciplinary conversation on the politics of place

An opportunity for academics and researchers broadly interested in spatial inequalities to share their research expertise

11 November 2025, 6:00pm

Still a Model? What We Can (and Can’t) Learn from German Federalism

This event explores whether German federalism still offers useful lessons for Scotland and the UK. It will consider how Germany's system of territorial governance has evolved, what challenges it now faces, and how this experience might inform ongoing debates about devolution, democracy, and reform in Scotland and the wider UK.

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