Comparative Territorial Politics: Voters, Political Actors and Policies in Multilevel States

The field of territorial politics and governance has evolved significantly over the last two decades. Several crucial aspects regarding institutional design (division of powers, bicameralism, constitutional review, federal reforms) and party politics – such as party organisation, elections, and government – have long received attention. Research on territorial governance is now also adopting a more multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach. This shift incorporates new areas of investigation, including insights into the political economy of regionalism and federalism, tensions between successful and peripheral and marginalised regions, the intricate links between politics and public policy in an era of “poly-crisis” or “perma-crisis,” and the rise of populist and anti-establishment parties. Additionally, new non-partisan actors and social movements are emerging, influencing how state architectures interact with various categories of difference to shape the representation and participation of marginalised groups at different tiers of government. Geographically, there is likewise a shift, or rather an expansion to be observed in research. Western Europe and North America have long been, and of course remain important cases for investigation – also central to this conference section. However, there has been a notable expansion in studies focusing on regions outside “the West”. Growing attention is directed towards territorial dynamics, often linked to ethnic tensions and conflicts, in post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the political and policy struggles in multilevel systems of Latin America, and the opportunities and challenges of multilevel governance in emerging economies in South and East Asia. African countries have also attracted increasing scholarly interest as contexts where decentralisation, regionalism, and federalism gain importance in response to challenges of ethnic diversity and conflict. While the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how institutional arrangements impact crisis management, a broader perspective reveals how territorial structures affect responses to enduring issues such as economic inequality, social policy disparities, and environmental governance. Decentralisation and federalism often influence local economies, public trust, and intergovernmental cooperation on global issues. This section aims to explain and interpret developments in territorial politics within multilevel states, encompassing a range of perspectives on the drivers of decentralisation, the political implications of peripheral or marginalised regions, and the consequences of territorial governance structures on policy outputs and outcomes. To foster a comprehensive approach, we welcome contributions from diverse areas of research, global regions, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches. This section encourages exploration of key themes, which may be linked to potential panels, including: • Drivers of Decentralisation, Devolution, and Federalism: What factors drive regions to seek greater autonomy, and how do these movements shape national politics? (proposed chair: Jared Sonnicksen) • Marginalised and Peripheral Regions: How do multilevel systems address or exacerbate disparities between prosperous and less-developed areas, and what are the political and economic consequences? (proposed chair: Johanna Schnabel) • Policy and Resource Allocation in Multilevel States: How do territorial structures influence public policy priorities, particularly regarding resource allocation across levels of government? (proposed chair: Davide Vampa) • Territorial Governance and Ethnic Diversity: Are decentralisation, regionalism, or federalism effective tools to manage ethnic conflicts and accommodate diversity? (proposed chair: Bizuneh Yimenu) • Citizen Attitudes and Accountability in Multilevel Systems: How does multilevel governance shape citizens’ expectations, voting behaviour, and perceptions of governmental accountability? (chair TBC) • Parties and Elections in Multilevel Systems: How does the emergence of new challengers to established parties and growing electoral volatility affect the functioning of multilevel representative democracy? (chair TBC) • The Relationship between Democracy and Federalism or Multilevel Systems: How do the two dimensions of government relate, interact, challenge each other, among other things? In these times of challenges to democracies, do federal or multilevel systems promote or challenge democratic resilience? (proposed chair: Jared Sonnicksen) Papers and panels on additional but related themes in territorial politics and governance are also welcome.