Blog posts by Regional and Federal Studies

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Aerial view of Berlin with the title of the blogpost and authors
Regional and Federal Studies

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

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.
How state and sub-state nationalists subsume crisis into longstanding territorial conflicts.
Regional and Federal Studies

How state and sub-state nationalists subsume crisis into longstanding territorial conflicts

Research on the relationship between crisis and nationalism finds that during the period of the cost-of-living crisis, both state and sub-state nationalist political parties folded the crisis into longstanding scripts of territorial contestation.

Ethiopia’s regions are de jure autonomous but de facto power remains centralised
Regional and Federal Studies

Ethiopia’s regions are de jure autonomous but de facto power remains centralised

Summarising his recent paper in Regional and Federal Studies, Nigussie Daba Heyi examines the real extent of regional policy autonomy within Ethiopia’s federal system, revealing a significant gap between constitutional design and political practice.

Image of the national assembly complex in Abuja, with an image of the author
Regional and Federal Studies

Nigeria is drifting towards federal autocracy as power concentrates across every tier of government

Nigeria stands at a critical juncture as democratic norms across West Africa deteriorate. While neighbouring states have slid into overt authoritarianism through military coups, Nigeria’s 2023 elections revealed a quieter but nonetheless troubling erosion of democratic accountability.

Rural Norway loses enterprising people because younger, educated risk-takers move to cities. With an image of a rural Norwegian village.
Regional and Federal Studies

‘Risk drain’: rural Norway loses enterprising people because younger, educated risk-takers move to cities

Innovation and local growth depend on people who are willing to take chances, yet new research on Norway suggests that these risk-takers are disproportionately drawn to the capital and larger cities.
Shaping the Debate, Launching the Regional & Federal Studies Blog
Regional and Federal Studies

Shaping the Debate: Launching the Regional & Federal Studies Blog

We are delighted to open a new chapter for Regional & Federal Studies with the launch of our journal’s blog. This space will serve as a bridge between cutting-edge academic research and the wider community of policymakers, practitioners, and engaged publics who grapple with the challenges of territorial governance in today’s world.

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