Myanmar is now at the crossroads in a very important time of its development under the first civilian rule after decades. The future construction of the state has been widely discussed and the concept of federalism has attracted a lot of interest. However, many things remain to be done, among others, to educate the broader public on the subject of federalism.

Federalism comes along with participation, an opportunity for people to be directly involved in democratic processes, often times called “grass roots democracy”. Also, trust is considerably higher in the local/regional authorities than in national governments.

This book contains a concise overview of the various forms of federal government found around the world as well as the basic principles, practices, benefits, and challenges characteristic of the federal form of government. The publication defines federalism and examines the constitutional, legal, financial, and philosophical underpinnings of federal systems.