The Unit with Sticks. Regional Conflict and the Origins of Argentine Federalism

Abstract

This essay develops a theoretical framework for studying the origins and evolution of federal systems. The theory adds an inter-provincial conflict dimension to the dimension of conflict between levels of government that is traditionally found in the analysis of federal systems. We apply this framework to historical exploration of the origins ofArgentina’s federal system, and explain how the centralized federal regime that emerged was an outcome of inter-provincial conflict that eventually determined the balance of power between provinces in the federal system and created a powerful central government capable of acting against any province on behalf of the union. This essay provides a significant challenge to William Riker’s theory of federal origins, which has dominated the study of federalism in Political Science.