On October 2, the MCC Center for Constitutional Politics hosted Professor Stephen Tierney, Professor of Constitutional Theory at the University of Edinburgh and at the Notre Dame Law School, who delivered a lecture entitled “Constituent Power in Federal States” as part of the Center’s research seminar series.
Professor Tierney examined the theoretical and practical dimensions of federalism, highlighting that although federalism has been one of the most well-known forms of governance throughout the history of modern statehood, constitutional theory has often tended to overlook its distinctive features. In his lecture, he emphasized that federalism is not merely a variant of modern constitutionalism or an exceptional form of state organization, but rather an autonomous constitutional model that offers a viable framework for structuring states characterized by territorial and demographic diversity.
Drawing on historical examples, Professor Tierney illustrated how different federal arrangements have emerged and how they reflect the political, social, and economic challenges of their respective eras. He underlined that the emergence of federal systems is closely linked to the unique nature of state power formation and distribution, since federalism provides a specific way of conceptualizing both sovereignty and constituent power.
The lecture was followed by a lively scholarly discussion in which participants exchanged views on the differences between federal and unitary models, as well as on the historical role of the federal idea in European constitutional development. The conversation also addressed how federal systems may balance the tension between central governance and local self-determination, and how they can contribute to strengthening democratic stability and the rule of law.
The seminar provided an opportunity to reconsider the constitutional and political significance of federalism and to reflect collectively on how this seemingly traditional yet remarkably flexible form of governance can respond to the challenges of modern statehood.
