In Search of Federal Theory

The federalism literature today is replete with references to something called “federal theory”, but what does that mean, and — insofar as that question can be answered meaningfully — what does federal theory tell us and why do we think we need it? References to federal theory typically exhibit blithe, unsupported, and promiscuously varying assumptions about the answers to those questions. This paper dissects the problem by identifying the different implicit and explicit answers; charting the field; reflecting on its claims and purposes; and hazarding some thoughts about future directions.