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This article argues that while asymmetrical arrangements among the units of any federation are necessary and even desirable, federal encroachments on provincial jurisdiction in Canada over the past few decades have triggered a protective impulse in the provinces that has resulted in a multiplication of deals recognizing provincial differences. The nature and variety of such arrangements are undermining the sense of federal comity, goodwill, and understanding so critical to national unity. To avoid heading further down this trajectory and attenuating the bonds that hold the nation together, the federal government should reconsider its role in the federation. While the current Conservative government policy of open federalism begins this reconceptualization of federal and provincial roles and responsibilities, more constructive and principled action is required.

"What does the concept of "federalism" mean and how does a federation differ from a unitary state? Professors Brock and Hale focus specifically on Canada as an example of a federal state and explain both the characteristics of Canadian federalism and the evolution of the practice of federalism in the decades since "Confederation." Federalism is not exclusively a legal doctrine. It is a method for the conduct of public affairs that combines a constitutional-legal framework with flexible public administration methodologies. It is a method of governing that naturally incorporates practicality and mutual accommodation among layers of government. It is a vehicle of public life that generates its own controversies, difficulties, and indeed, sometimes crises, all of which require resolution through that very methodology of federalism. Professors Brock and Hale explore the most fundamental aspects of, and practices in, the Canadian form of federalism and go on to enlighten all readers about a variety of aspects ofthis form of government."--