Federalism and autonomy are key instruments of democratic governance, allowing for unity in diversity, pluralism and power control. By analyzing how complex societies are organized and how decisions are made, we provide solutions at local and global level on how to improve the democratic efficiency of institutions and policies.
Institute for Comparative Federalism
The Institute is an internationally renowned center of expertise in comparative and applied research on federal, regional, and local governmental trends.
We investigate and compare legal and institutional tools and decision-making processes for coping with ever more complex governance and an increasingly pluralist society in multi-level systems. Embedded in the autonomous context of South Tyrol within Italy and influenced by the nearby federal systems of Austria, Switzerland and Germany, the institute aims to animate the study of federalism and autonomy with innovative, and multidisciplinary debates.
Since its early days, the Institute has analyzed Italy’s asymmetrical regionalism and South Tyrol’s well-established autonomy arrangements, and it has increasingly addressed and compared current constitutional and political developments regarding the autonomy of subnational and local entities worldwide. The Institute provides a focal point for research in instruments and models of institutional innovation and participatory democracy. These research foci are complemented by the examination of specific policy fields in multi-level systems; notably, the researchers undertake and promote research in policy areas such as fiscal federalism and environmental policy.
The Institute aims to combine cutting-edge research with practice-oriented consultancy activities and well-established training programs.
Our Vision
With our research on federalism and autonomy arrangements, we offer analyses and solutions to improve, at multiple levels of government (from local to global):
- the quality of democracy and conflict management
- the efficiency and capacity of institutions
- the formulation and implementation of public policies
Our Mission
We help societies function better through basic and applied research on how public decisions are and ought to be made in complex societies. Our research provides specialized knowledge in the areas of federalism and autonomy studies, including democratic innovations, intergovernmental relations, local government, public finance, border studies, and environmental and climate governance, which we approach from a comparative perspective. We foster a sustainable research environment that transcends disciplinary boundaries between legal research and the social sciences and balances scientific activities, the acquisition of third-party funded projects and consultancy work. We engage in knowledge exchange with the research community and non-academic stakeholders to advance our research and make it applicable to both local and global audiences.
Our Values
- social commitment and community engagement
- critical thinking and interdisciplinarity
- pluralism, inclusiveness, and respect for diversity in societies and decision-making
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