This publication will reflect the main theoretical debates on federalism and regionalism. In addition, and more particularly, it will explore the legal and constitutional facets of the federal (regional, devolutionary) phenomenon, by particularly focusing on the case law of the constitutional and supreme courts in territorially compound states.

The principle goals are:

a) to produce a far-reaching scholarly book on the federal phenomenon, challenging many of the traditional approaches to federal studies including the intimate difference between federalism and regionalism, thus (re-)considering both categories;

b) to look at federalism under a functional, practical perspective instead of adopting a classical political-philosophical approach to federalism. For this reason, the most challenging problems that federalism is called upon to resolve will be addressed, such as fiscal relationships, accommodation of (ethnic) diversity, cooperation procedures, allocation of powers, etc.; particular attention is therefore paid to constitutional adjudication.

c) to reach a large number of scholars and advanced students dealing with federal (and regional) studies from a legal and political perspective.

The book will explore the main constitutional issues arising due to the complex territorial setting of a polity.  The first part will be dedicated to a critical analysis of the concepts of federalism (federal/state), regionalism (regional/state) and governance, looking at them in a functional perspective. Why are "federal" structures so popular, why are they looked at with increasing interest, how are they changing? What does "modern" federalism looks like?

A second and broader part will analyze the constitutional dimension of federalism. Federalism will thus be seen as a constitutional phenomenon, and investigated based on issues, i.e. by analyzing the most problematic issues arising in territorially divided countries on the basis of the constitutional jurisprudence. The most debated aspects of a federal structure will be discussed, such as the relationship between federalism and (territorial, economic, religious, linguistic, ethnic, cultural) diversity, the financial relationship between the levels of government, the allocation of powers and their practical impact, the procedures for cooperation, etc. To do so, particular attention will be dedicated to the concrete dimension of federalism: federalism as it is, and not as it ought to be. Therefore, the case-law decided by the constitutional and supreme courts will be thoroughly analyzed, in order to help the reader understand how the practical implications and the overall tendencies of complex institutional organizations work.