This publication focuses on two main lines of inquiry: the relationship between federalism and democracy, with particular focus on representation, and the relationship between the governments of federal systems, looking especially at intergovernmental relations. It was originally published as a special issue of Journal of European Public Policy.

1. Federal challenges and challenges to federalism. Insights from the EU and federal states 2. Democratic Federalization and the Interconnectedness - Consent Conundrum 3. Patterns of Multilevel Parliamentary Relations. Varieties and Dynamics in the EU and other Federations 4. Executive-Legislative Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Relations in Federal Systems - Lessons for the European Union 5. Representation in the EU: multi-level challenges and new perspectives from comparative federalism 6. Horizontal coordination in federal political systems - non-centralization in the European Union and Canada compared 7. Intergovernmentalism in the European Union: A Comparative Federalism Perspective 8. Balancing sub-unit autonomy and collective problem-solving by varying exit and voice. An analytical framework 9. Europe as a multilevel federation

John Erik Fossum is Professor in Political Science at the ARENA Centre for European Studies at the University of Oslo, Norway.

Markus Jachtenfuchs is Professor of European and Global Governance and the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany.