This title was first published in 2003. Investigating the impact of federal structure on fiscal policy-making in four country cases, this book answers the question as to what extent federal structures hinder or, on the contrary, enhance a state's decision and co-ordination capacity in the field of fiscal policy. It questions the common assumption that federal structures restrain the co-ordination and hence macroeconomic management capacity. Well-documented and meticulously presented, this book will be useful for all those working in the field of policy research, and more generally for those who wish not only to attain a deeper and more comprehensive view on fiscal policy making or federalism, but on the territorial dimension of fiscal policy.