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H. (2018). Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations: Theories, Ideas, and Concepts. In W. B. Hildreth, G. Miller & J. W. Rabin (Eds.), Handbook of Public Administration. 3rd edition (pp. 485–500). Routledge. Online: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315093215-12 Leonardy, U. (1998). The Institutional Structures of German Federalism. In C. Jeffery (Ed.), Recasting German Federalism. The Legacies of Unification (pp. 3–22). Bloomsbury Publisher. Lijphart, A. (1977). Democracy in Plural Societies. A Comparative Exploration. Yale University Press. Online: https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300158182 Malan, L. P. (2012): Intergovernmental Relations in South Africa: A Revised Policy Approach to Co-operative Government. African Journal of Public Affairs, 5(3), 115–124. Online: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/21842 McLaughlin, A. (1918). The Background of American Federalism. American Political Science Review, 12(2), 215–240. Online: https://doi.org/10.2307/1943600 Menzies, J. (2013). Reducing Tensions in Australian Intergovernmental Relations through Institutional Innovation. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 72(3), 382–389. Online: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12036 Osborne, S. P. (2010). The New Public Governance? Emerging Perspectives on the Theory and Practice of Public Governance. Routledge. Online: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203861684 Painter, M. (2001). Multi-level Governance and the Emergence of Collaborative Federal Institutions in Australia. Policy & Politics, 29(2), 137–150. Online: https://doi.org/10.1332/0305573012501260 Phillimore, J. (2013). Understanding Intergovernmental Relations: Key Features and Trends. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 72(3), 228–238. Online: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12025 Rai, R. K. J. (2025). Issues of Federalism in Nepal: A Political Analysis of Success Factors. NPRC Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(6), 180–192. Online: https://doi.org/10.3126/nprcjmr.v2i6.80894 Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997). Understanding Governance. Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability. Open University Press. Rose, S. & Bowling, C. J. (2015). The State of American Federalism 2014–15: Pathways to Policy in an Era of Party Polarization. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 45(3), 351–379. Online: https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjv028 Rosenthal, D. B. (1980). Bargaining Analysis in Intergovernmental Relations. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 10(3), 5–44. Online: https://doi.org/10.2307/3329681 Subedi, G. (2021). Interprovincial Relations in Formative Phase of Federal Nepal. Journal of Political Science, 21, 9–18. Online: https://doi.org/10.3126/jps.v21i0.35259 Subedi, G. (2025). Practices and Key Aspects of Intergovernmental Relations in Nepal: Major Challenges and Way Forward in Advancing Federalism. The Academia: An Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 5(1), 53–69. Online: https://doi.org/10.3126/ta.v5i1.77114 Wright, D. S. (1974). Intergovernmental Relations in America Today. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 416(1), 1–16. Online: https://doi.org/10.1177/000271627441600102" ["copyrightYear"]=> int(2025) ["issueId"]=> int(656) ["licenseUrl"]=> string(43) "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" ["pub-id::doi"]=> string(20) "10.53116/pgaflr.7985" ["abstract"]=> array(1) { ["en_US"]=> string(1598) "

This study investigates the complexities and obstacles associated with intergovernmental relations (IGR) in Nepal’s emerging federal system. By conducting interviews with government officials and analysing key IGR mechanisms, the research identifies substantial obstacles to the effective cooperation, coordination and coexistence of federal, provincial and local governments. Some of the significant issues are a lack of genuine autonomy for subnational entities, fiscal imbalances, inactive dispute resolution bodies and an ambiguous division of responsibilities. The study uses a qualitative approach, analysing authority, resources and responsibilities in Nepal through 29 key informant interviews with government officials. It identifies themes related to coordination, power devolution and service delivery, and uses secondary sources to contextualise Nepal’s federal experiment within broader theoretical and comparative contexts. The study reveals that centralised control, political interference and ineffective institutions continue to hinder Nepal’s IGR framework, despite the constitutional provisions. The findings have significant implications for federal governance in Nepal, emphasising the necessity of overcoming structural obstacles, promoting genuine collaboration among government echelons, and empowering subnational entities. More broadly, the study contributes to the literature on federalism and IGR in developing democracies by illustrating the difficulties associated with translating constitutional principles into functional multi-level governance systems.

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Visiting Faculty, Kathmandu University School of Management, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Full Professor, Department of Sociology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

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