Formal Theory and Federalism

The recent onrush of formal models of federalism was prompted by political science s renewed interest in the operation of federal systems. Formal theory is a microfoundational approach to comparative theoretical research, where political phenomena are explained in terms of strategic agents responding to an incentive environment. When appropriately written, formal (mathematical) structure lays bare the logical flow from assumption to result (and empirical prediction). The construction of a model provides a template for future scholarship, allowing manipulation of the functional form to match specific case parameters. It offers a useful tool to complement our comparative skills as we search for an understanding of how federalism works.