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Institut
d'Estudis Autonòmics |
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Palau Centelles
Bda. de Sant Miquel, 8
08002 Barcelona
+34 933429800
bea@gencat.cat |
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Recent Developments in Self-Government in Spain |
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Coming Political Events |
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Horizontal Cooperation among Autonomous Communities
The "6th Autonomous-Community Meeting for the Development of Self-Government Working-Group" took place in Palma de Mallorca last 8th March 2010. The meeting was attended by regional ministers and senior officials coming from eight autonomous communities:Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencian Community, La Rioja , Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha, Balearic Islands and Castilla-and-Leon. Initially spurred in 2008 by the six Autonomous Communities that had their statutes just reformed (Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencian Community, Aragon, Balearic Islands and Castilla León), the working group was created as a first step to promote and strengthen horizontal cooperation, a traditionally ill-developped pattern of interaction within the Spanish system of intergovernmental relations. More specifically, participants of the working group committed themselves to promote three main objectives: to develop cooperation within the policy fields of their jurisdiction powers; to discuss and conclude formal agreements on common policy areas; and to improve jointly the quality of the public services they provide. Two years later and right after the 6th meeting in Palma, the working group has been enlarged to eleven Autonomous Communities, with the accession of Comunidad de Madrid, Basque Country and Galicia.
In order to achieve its objectives, the working group has developed different working lines which have derived in specific outputs: the conclusion of accords and protocols of collaboration; the agreement of joint political statements and the launching of an executive horizontal forum of all regional premiers.
More information. |
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The Council for Statutory Guarantees
On the 23rd November 2009 the Catalan Council for Statutory Guarantees (CSG), a legal advisory body, was formally established with the appointment of its 9 members. The creation of the CSG was established by 2/2009 Catalan Act (modified by the 17/2009 Catalan Act), and results from the deployment of the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia (articles 38, 76 and 77). It replaced the Catalan Advisory Board.
Within the Catalan government, the Generalitat de Catalunya, there are two legal advisory bodies: the CSG (formerly the Advisory Board) and the Legal Advisory Commission, the latter a body that provides legal advice only to the Catalan executive.
One of the most relevant features of the CSG is that, in some cases related to the regulation of certain aspects developed in the 2006 Catalan Statute, the reports it issues are legally binding on the Catalan parliament. It is in this sense that the CSG’s role, compared to that of the Catalan Advisory Board, is not just that of being an advisor but, also, that of being the institutional guardianship of some aspects deployed in the 2006 Catalan Statute.
To summarize, the main features of the Catalan Council for Statutory Guarantees are:
• It is an independent body.
• It is not a parliamentary, or governmental, or judicial body.
• The CSG develops its advisory functions only after explicit requirement by the actors that are legitimated to do so. Thus, when being required, the CSG, on the behalf of the Parliament of Catalonia, issues advices on bills before their enactment and on proposals to reform the Statute.
• Requirement of advice to the CSG is only obligatory on the cases involving the Spanish Constitutional Court: before the Catalan institutions would lodge an appeal of unconstitutionality against a Spanish law; before the Catalan government would lodge a conflict of jurisdiction against Spanish secondary legislation; and before lodging a conflict on the defence of local institutions.
• As mentioned above, in some specific cases, the CSG advices are legally binding. They are binding when related to bills aiming to regulate any of the rights included as such in the 2006 Catalan Statute of Autonomy.
• Its advices are based on legal criteria and do not express political or opportunity criteria.
The current members of the CSG:
President: Mr. Eliseo Aja Fernández
Vice president: Mr. Joan Egea Fernández
Secretary Counselor: Mr. Jaume Vernet i Llobet
Counselors: Mrs. Antònia Agulló i Agüero, Mr. Julio Añoveros Trias de Bes, Mr. Àlex Bas i Vilafranca, Mr. Marc Carrillo López, Mr. Enric Fossas Espadaler, Mr. Pere Jover i Presa.
Advisory Board / Council for Statutory Guarantees. Comparative Table |
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Reforms of the Statutes of Autonomy of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha
Last 17 th October 2009, the Spanish Parliament accepted the proposal to reform the Statute of Autonomy of Extremadura. At the moment, amendments to the fist draft are being presented.
The Spanish Parliament is still debating the proposal submitted in early 2008 by the parliament of Castilla-La Mancha. To know more about the Castilla-La Mancha proposal, see our Newsletter # 9 (October 2008).
Submitted proposal Extremadura (in Spanish only)
Submitted proposal Castilla-La Mancha (in Spanish only) |
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Legal Resources |
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Autonomous-Community Legislation. 2009 Compilation (in Spanish) |
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Agreements of the Bilateral Comissions |
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Bilateral Commissions are intergovernmental forums of negotiation established between Central government and the government of each respective Autonomous Community; in this sense, then, potentially there are seventeen bilateral commissions. Their main role, as established in the Spanish law on the Constitutional Court (article 33.2), is that of being a bilateral forum of negotiations addressed to solve jurisdictional disagreements on newly issued legislation and to prevent therefore the lodging of appeals of unconstitutionality.
For 2009 we have compiled the activity of any Bilateral Commission (BC) that has met at least once. The compilation contains a complete reference to the law object of disagreement, the date of the meetings, and the final output (agreement or appeal). |
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The information on the negotiating activities for each bilateral commission is supplemented by the document Bilateral Comissions 2009 Compilation: Tables and Figures. The document provides comparative data about the negotiating activity and results of the Bilateral Commissions (BCs) set up during the 2009 period and, summarizes and highlights their main features. The document thus offers a comparatively and individually descriptive perspective on the levels of activity of the BCs ; on their respective and absolute degree of success; and on the relative weight of each type of legislation (autonomous-community or Spanish legislation) as a focus of disagreement. |
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Constitutional Court |
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Rulings. 2009 Compilation (in Spanish) |
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Appeals of Unconstitutionality. 2009 Compilation |
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Conflicts on Distribution of Powers. 2009 Compilation |
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This document provides comparative data concerning the constitutional conflictiveness between the Autonomous Communities and Central Government institutions in 2009 and a comparison with 2007-2008 period. In that sense, absolute and relative data cross-Autonomous Community are provided about the appeals of unconstitutionality and conflicts of jurisdiction brought before the Constitutional Court by both the Autonomous Communities and Central Government. The figures and tables show the absolute and relative degree of constitutional conflictiveness of each Autonomous Community, and the proportion of the appeals and that of the conflicts upon the total amount of conflictiveness.
Constitutional Conflicts between Central Government and the Autonomous Communities. 2009 Compilation |
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Web Resources |
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Institutes of Public Opinion: Opinion Surveys |
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Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (Centre for Sociological Research)
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Barometer. January 2010 |
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Barometer. December 2009 |
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Barometer. November 2009 |
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Barometer. October 2009 |
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Barometer. September 2009 |
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Centre d'Estudis d'Opinió. (Opinion Studies Centre) Government of Catalonia |
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Public opinion barometer. February 2010 |
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Government evaluation . January 2010 |
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Index of political satisfaction in Catalonia. December 2009 |
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Public opinion barometer. December 2009 |
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Survey on the state-of-the-nation. October 2009 |
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Gabinete de Prospección Sociológca (Office of sociological prospection). Government of the Basque Country |
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Euskal Soziometroa. Basque sociometer. 41. November 2009 |
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Events Organized at the IEA |
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Forthcoming Events |
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Conference: The US State Constitutions by Profesor Alan Tarr, 14th of June
Alan Tarr is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University-Camden (New Jersey). |
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Seminar: The effects of the financial crisis on the Spanish Multi-level System, 21th of June
Seminar: Intergovernmental Cooperation in Compound Political Systems |
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More details will soon be available at the IEA web page (Agenda) |
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Seminars Recently Held at the Institute |
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Local Governments in Compound States: the cases of Germany, Italy and United Kingdom , 13 April
This seminar presented the results of a research project on local governments in compound European countries. Funded by the IEA, the two-years project was carried out by a team of academics coordinated by Prof. Francisco Velasco from the Autonomous University of Madrid. The research project analyzed the extent to what the type of jurisdictional distribution of powers between the federal government and the federated entities had an impact upon local governments. The project focused on the analysis of three cases: Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. This seminar thus aimed at both presenting and discussing the the main findings and conclusions reached in the research.
The members of the team and participants of the seminar were: José María Rodríguez de Santiago, professor of Administrative Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid; Francisco Velasco Caballero, professor of Administrative Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid; Alfredo Galán Galán, lecturer of Administrative Law at the University of Barcelona; Andrés García Matínez, lecturer of Finance and Taxation Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid; and Luis Medina Alcoz, lecturer of Administrative Law at the Complutense University of Madrid. |
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Immigration Policy in Spain, 26 March
The reform of the Spanish Immigration Act 2009 provides autonomous communities with new functions in areas such as initial permits, organization of formation courses for immigrants who must renew their permits, certificates of the immigrants' integration level, etc. This could be interpreted as the first step of a process towards broadening the responsibility of the autonomous communities in a political arena that was not discussed during the transition. In this regard, Spain can be considered a good case study, because it is, in addition, a multinational state. The purpose of this seminar was to discuss the latest reform with lecturers, civil servants and politicians and see how the Spanish example can contribute to studies on immigration in compound states by analyzing the implications of this reform to governments, its institutional and political challenges (especially regarding the integration of immigrants) and the elements that should guide the political agenda with regard to the management of immigration.
Seminar participants were: Leslie Seidle, Senior Policy Advisor of Forum of Federations; Christian Joppke, professor of Political Science at the American University of Paris and Keith Banting, Political Science professor at Queen's University (Canada); Ricard Zapata-Barrero, professor of Political Science at the Pompeu Fabra University and director of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Immigration (GRITIM-UPF); David Moya professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Barcelona; Eva Pons Parera, professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Barcelona; Oriol Amorós, Secretary for Immigration of the Government of Catalonia and Carles Campuzano, Member of the Catalan Parliament. |
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Decentralization and Inequalities in the Welfare State: Socio-structural Evolution, Perceptions and Autonomous-Community Policies, 5 March
The impact of decentralization on territorial (in)equalities within the welfare states has been an internationally recurrent topic over the past three decades, both in academic and political fields. From this perspective, the seminar presented the results of a research on the empirical evaluation of the Spanish case. This research has been carried out by the Institute of Government and Public Policy of the Autonomous University of Barcelona in the 2008-2009 period and funded by the Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics. The research presented examines three dimensions: firstly, the analysis of changes and stability of socio-structural reality of the different autonomous communities in the past 30 years; secondly, the perceptions that citizens have of the services provided by the autonomous communities and the inter-territorial differences; and, finally, three key areas of autonomous-community welfare policies: education, health and social services policies. This research provides an important contribution to current debates about inequalities and differences within the state of self-government, with its empirical and contrasted data on the differences and similarities between public policies and socio-economic structures of the seventeen autonomous communities.
The participants were Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, professor of Economic Geography of the London School of Economics; Joan Subirats, professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Miguel Angel Alegre, coordinator of the Department of Education of the Institute of Government and Public Policy; Raquel Gallego, lecturer of Political Science and Public Administration at the Autonomous University of Barcelona; Josep Adelantado, lecturer of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. |
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Citizens' Participation in Catalonia, 18 November
Citizens' participation has been a subject of renewed interest in recent years, coinciding with the attention gathered in some of the new statutes of autonomy, such as the Catalan Statute when it specifically refers to referendums. At the same time, the development of the citizens' legislative initiative has not always been harmonious and has required us to rethink the role and nature of this instrument. Beyond that, these new forms of citizen participation are steps forward to the Democratic State. The purpose of the seminar organized by the Directorate General of Citizen Participation of the Catalan Government was, therefore, to ponder this evolution.
The participants were Josep Lluis Martí, professor of Philosophy of Law at the Pompeu Fabra University ; Alfredo Galan, professor of Administrative Law at the University of Barcelona; Joan Vintró, professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Barcelona, and Marc Rius, head of Citizen Participation. |
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Management of Public Infrastructures in Multi-level Spain , 21 October
The new Statute of Autonomy incorporates a detailed set of regulations to establish the powers of the Catalan Government regarding infrastructures and, at the same time, provides various possibilities of Catalan participation in the management and decision making of the Central Government. Based on this new legislation framework, the purpose of this seminar was to analyze, through four important infrastructures, how their management can be articulated in the Self-government State .
he participants were: Mercè Darnaculleta i Gardella, professor of Administrative Law at the University of Constanza; Mercè Corretja Torrens, Head of the Unit for the Development of Self-government of the Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics; Josep Maria Fortuny Olivé, Deputy General Director of Planning and Inspection of the Ministry of Planning and Public Works of the Catalan Government, and Maria Zambonino Pulito, professor of Administrative Law at the University of Cadiz. |
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Josep Maria Vilaseca i Marcet Prize |
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Third Edition
of the Josep Maria Vilaseca i Marcet Prize. Call for Works Open |
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The DOGC of 9th December 2009 published the call conditions of the third edition of the Josep Vilaseca i Marcet Prize, worth €25,000.
The submission of original works ends on 15th September 2010 and the jury's verdict will be announced on the IEA website before 30th December 2010.
Works can be submitted in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian or German. In all cases, a maximum two-page summary, in English, and the index translated into English must be enclosed. The maximum length is 450 pages; single sided, with 1.5 spacing, size 12 Arial font for the main text and size 10 font for footnotes. Six paper copies and a CD with the computer file of the work must be submitted; the author must not be identified and the papers must be accompanied by the documents indicated in the announcement.
For further information, please contact, Ms. Elisabeth Vidal at the Institute.
With this prize, awarded biennially, the Institute desires to contribute to the development of research on political autonomy and on federalism. This award is given to the best original and unpublished scientific work, the object of which can be any aspect directly related to political autonomy and federalism.
Informational brochure
Order IRP/529/2009 , of 27 November, approving the conditions of the Josep Maria Vilaseca i Marcet Prize, and establishing the third edition corresponding to 2010 (DOGC no. 5522, 9 December 2009).
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Revista d'Estudis Autonòmics i Federals (REAF) (Journal of Regional and Federal Studies) |
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The last issue: #9, October 2009.
Previous issues can be found on the REAF webpage.
Researchers who wish to send originals may do so by electronic mail to: reaf@gencat.cat. The articles undergo anonymous evaluation (double blind system). |
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Recent Publications |
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Federalisme i plurinacionalitat. Teoria i anàlisi de casos
Miquel Caminal, Ferran Requejo (eds.)
"Clàssics del Federalisme" Collection
Discurs sobre la Constitució i el govern dels Estats Units, i altres textos
John C. Calhoun
Introductory cahpter by Alan Tarr
"Clàssics del Federalisme" Collection
Dret a l'habitatge i servei públic d'allotjament català?: El desplegament de la Llei del dret a l'habitatge de Catalunya i els problemes de constitucionalitat de determinades actuacions estatals
Seminari. Barcelona, 17 abril 2009
Juli Ponce (coord.), Gerardo Ruiz-Rico, Patricia Salkin, Domènec Sibina
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection # 67
Descentralització, asimetries i processos de resimetrització a Europa. Bèlgica, Regne Unit, Itàlia i Espanya
Ferran Requejo, Klaus-Jürgen Nagel (eds.)
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection # 66
El plurilingüisme a la Constitució espanyola
Seminari. Barcelona, 18 març 2009
Antoni Milian (coord.), Xabier Arzoz, Giovanni Poggeschi, Joan Ramon Solé, Jaume Vernet.
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection # 65
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Forthcoming Publications |
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El federalismo canadiense contemporáneo. Fundamentos, tradiciones e instituciones
Alain G-Gagnon (dir.)
IEA - Tirant lo Blanch - Université du Québec
Gobiernos locales en Estados federales y descentralizados: Alemania, Italia y Reino Unido
Francisco Velasco Caballero (dir.)
"Con(Textos)/A" Collection
Introducció al federalisme fiscal: una anàlisi comparativa
George Anderson
Decentralizing and re-centralizing trends in the distribution of powers within federal countries
2008 IACFS Conference. Barcelona, September 19-20
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Documentary and Bibliographic Holdings |
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Documentary and Bibliographic Collection data base search |
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Novelties concerning all the documentation in the Collection |
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Summaries of articles in Spanish journals |
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Documental data collection of articles from foreign magazines |
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For any queries concerning the data base of the Documentary Collection, contact Ms Maite Batalla (mtbatalla@gencat.cat – Telephone 933 429 806). |
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Recent Publications of Interest |
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Framing Canadian Federalism
Anastakis, Dimitry; Penny Bryden. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 2009
Los órganos garantes de la autonomía política. Defensa institucional y protección de los derechos (Los casos de Italia, Alemania y España)
Aparicio Pérez, Miguel A.; Mercè Barceló Serramalera (coordinator). Barcelona: Atelier, 2009
La participación de las regiones en el sistema político de la Unión Europea
Ares Castro-Conde, Cristina. Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2010
The Constitution of a Federal Commonwealth: The Making and Meaning of the Australian Constitution
Aroney, Nicholas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009
Imperfect Union Representation and Taxation in Multilevel Governments
Berry, Christopher R. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 2009
The New British Constitution
Bogdanor, Vernon; Antonelli Vincenzo. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2009
Intergovernmental Cooperation: Rational Choices in Federal Systems and Beyond
Bolleyer, Nicole. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009
Nuevos estatutos y reforma del Estado las experiencias de España e Italia a debate
Castellà Andreu, Josep Mª; Marco Olivetti (coordinator). Barcelona: Atelier, 2009
Canada: the State of the Federation, 2009: Carbon Pricing and Environmental Federalism
Courchene, Thomas J.; John R. Allan. Canada: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010
Has Devolution Worked? The Verdict from Policy-makers and the Public
Curtice, John; Ben Seyd (editor). Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2010
L'Espagne, les autonomies et l'Europe: essai sur l'intervention de nouveaux modes d'organisation territoriale et de gouvernance
Delfour, Christine. Brussels: Bruylant, 2009
Self-Organizing Federalism
Feiock, Richard C.; John T. Scholz. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009
La administración educativa: control y autonomía
Gámez Mejías, Manuel Miguel. Madrid: Iustel Monografías, 2010
Contemporary Canadian Federalism Foundations, Traditions, Institutions
Gagnon, Alain-G. (editor). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009
Local Government and Metropolitan Regions in Federal Systems
Kincaid, John; Nico Steytler; Martin Burgi. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2009
Les constitutions postcommunistes européennes études de Droit comparé de neuf états
Kutlesic, Vladan (main author). Brussels: Bruylant, 2009
Las odiseas multiculturales: las nuevas políticas internacionales de la diversidad
Kymlicka, Will. Barcelona: Paidós Ibérica, 2009
El gobierno de los jueces y la lucha contra la legislación social en los Estados Unidos
Lambert, Edouard. Madrid: Tecnos, 2010
Esperienze di regionalismo differenziato : il caso italiano e quello spagnolo a confronto
Mastromarino, Anna; Josep Maria Castellà Andreu. Milan: Giuffrè, 2009
The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: the First Decade
Mitchell, James; Charlie Jeffrey (editor). London: Hansard Society, 2009
Devolution in the UK
Mitchell, James. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2009
Gobernanza multinivel y sistemas locales de bienestar en España el caso de las Diputaciones Provinciales
Navarro, Clemente J.; Mª Jesús Rodríguez. Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2009
Collaborative Federalism: Economic Reform in Australia in the 1990s
Painte, Martin R. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009
Sistema fiscal español (impuestos estatales, autonómicos y locales)
Peña Velasco, Gaspar; Ramón Falcón Tella; Miguel Ángel Martínez Lago (coordinator). Madrid: Iustel, 2009
Nationalism in a Global World
Pryke, Sam. New York: Palgrave, 2009
La participación de las haciendas locales en los tributos de las comunidades autónomas
Ramos Prieto, Jesús. Madrid: Fundación Democracia y Gobierno Local, 2009
Majority Rule versus Consensus: the Political Thought of John C. Calhoun
Read, James H. Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2009
Aspectos relevantes de la financiación autonómica: análisis económico de la administración pública en relación con la financiación autonómica
Reina Martín, M. Dolores. Sevilla: Instituto Andaluz de Administración Pública, 2009
Comprendiendo las Constituciones estatales
Tarr, Alan. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2009
La financiación territorial en los estados descentralizados: un estudio comparado
Tejerizo López, José Manuel (and others). Madrid: Instituto de Estudios Fiscales, 2009
Claves y análisis del discurso político en el País Vasco
Urrutia, Hernán; Teresa Fernández (editors). Madrid: Dykinson, 2009
La reforma estatutaria y constitucional
Vera Santos, José Manuel; Francisco Javier Díaz Revorio (coordinators). Madrid: La Ley, 2009
The Law of American State Constitutions
Williams, Robert. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009
The Anti-federalist Writings of the Melancton Smith Circle
Zuckert, Michael P. (editor). Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2009 |
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