Michael G Breen
Biographic Data
| ID | 4064660 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michael G Breen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michael G |
| FAMILY NAME | Breen |
| SIGNATURE | BREEN M G |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Melbourne |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1876-6453 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 54 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
A study of the first five‐year tenure (2017–2022) of provincial governments in Nepal
Nepal introduced federalism in 2015 with three levels of government: federal, provincial, and local. The preamble of the constitution mentions that the country's new federal system of government shall address three key perennial political and policy problems: (i) centralized governance structure, (ii) geographically disbalancing developmental approach, and (iii) social injustice leveraged by caste‐based social structures and unequal economic oppo…
We returned home empty-handed: Covid-19, care, and contested citizenship of Naga migrant workers in northeast India
COVID-19 highlighted interconnections between matters of identity and citizenship, vulnerability, and inclusion in/exclusion from systems of care in times of crisis. Migrant workers from Nagaland state, northeast India, were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic's socioeconomic consequences. The public health emergency brought into question who is 'Indian' and the citizenship rights attached to that identity, heightening migrants' exclusion…
The concept and uses of hourglass federalism: A comparative study
Recent international federal debates and reforms have witnessed a shift to emphasizing the local level in federal systems. In particular, the notion of hourglass federalism has been introduced and increasingly used, both in terms of the number of countries it is applied to but also in how it is conceived. However, despite the growing recognition of the prevalence of hourglass approaches, there has been very little written about the idea itself an…
Federal and Political Party Reforms in Asia: Is There a New Model of Federal Democracy Emerging in Ethnically Diverse Countries in Asia
How do ethnically divided countries create inclusive and stable democratic institutions? Why do some kinds of federalism fail while others evolve? Scholars looking for answers to these kinds of questions have tended to focus on the West. Yet there are important lessons arising from the substantial democratic and federal reforms that have taken place in Asia over the last few decades. These reforms signal a new model of federal democracy in Asia, …
Is the military coup in Myanmar the death knell of democracy and federalism
Based on the ENPP whereby one-party system if >1.75; two-party 1.76>2.25;two-and-a-half party systems 2.26>3; multiparty systems with a dominant party 3.01>4.25;and, multiparty systems <4.25+.** Using parties rather than alliances.Source: authors' calculations adapted from Breen (2020)
Federalism and local governance: Exploring multilingualism in local decision-making in Nepal
Under the newly proclaimed federalist constitution, Nepal’s local governments provide the most suitable public space for ordinary people with varying cultural and linguistic identities to exercise participatory local democracy. This paper seeks to empirically understand the extent to which Nepal’s local participatory decision-making mechanisms are helpful for the participation of linguistically minority communities. With the analysis of local dec…
Federalism, constitutional recognition and Indigenous Peoples: How a new identity-based state can be established in Australia
The debate on constitutional recognition of Indigenous Peoples in Australia has highlighted the desire for meaningful responses to Indigenous Peoples’ claims to sovereignty and self-determination. One potential response is to apply federal principles and establish a new state, or states, for Indigenous Peoples in Australia. This proposal has been most prominently put by Tasmanian Aboriginal leader Michael Mansell. Others have followed. However, (…
Moderating polarised positions on questions of national identity and sovereignty: Deliberative surveys on federalism in Myanmar
Myanmar is in an important phase of its political transition. The opportunity for substantive federal reform, which is central to peacebuilding and democratisation, is present and being progressed through parallel elite level forums. However, these elite negotiations have serious limitations, as they fail to reach out to citizens, and contribute to polarisation and the perpetuation of extreme views regarding federalism. To address the absence of …
The Road to Federalism in Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka: Finding the Middle Ground
Chapter 1ethnically diverse societies, and the conditions that have led to exclusion and discrimination.Is there a middle way which can avoid the oscillation between extremes, or the emphasis on assimilation or integration which has beset the evolution of their modern states?Unless Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka adequately accommodate their minority ethnic groups, and moderate their extremes, they may continue to suffer the consequential impacts an…
The Origins of Holding-Together Federalism: Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka
Theories on the origin of federalism generally only apply to coming-together federalism. In Asia, some states introduced federalism following decolonization to hold together multiethnic communities, but others centralized and pursued a nation-building agenda. Federalism was not established in Asia again until Nepal’s new constitution of 2015. Why has federalism been resisted and what causes its institutionalization? Using the cases of Nepal, Myan…
Nepal, federalism and participatory constitution-making: Deliberative Democracy and Divided Societies
In 2008, Nepal reintroduced democracy and elected a Constituent Assembly whose first act was to declare a secular federal democratic republic. The Assembly was tasked with engaging the public in a participatory and deliberative process as it drafted, debated and decided a new federal constitution. This article asks how evaluates how deliberative the process was in practice, and whether the deliberative components influenced decision-making. It de…
The Covenant Connection Reexamined: The Nexus between Religions and Federalism in Asia
The covenant connection thesis forms an important basis from which to understand the religious source of federalism. Yet with its Judeo-Christian roots, to what extent does it apply to Asian countries that have different religious traditions? In this article, we explore whether the covenant connection thesis is relevant to Asian federalism in the context of Muslim-, Hindu-, and Buddhist-majority countries. We find that while the presence or absen…
The Origins of Holding-Together Federalism: Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka
Theories on the origin of federalism generally only apply to coming-together federalism. In Asia, some states introduced federalism following decolonization to hold together multiethnic communities, but others centralized and pursued a nation-building agenda. Federalism was not established in Asia again until Nepal’s new constitution of 2015. Why has federalism been resisted and what causes its institutionalization? Using the cases of Nepal, Myan…
Nepal, federalism and participatory constitution-making: Deliberative Democracy and Divided Societies
In 2008, Nepal reintroduced democracy and elected a Constituent Assembly whose first act was to declare a secular federal democratic republic. The Assembly was tasked with engaging the public in a participatory and deliberative process as it drafted, debated and decided a new federal constitution. This article asks how evaluates how deliberative the process was in practice, and whether the deliberative components influenced decision-making. It de…
The Road to Federalism in Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka: Finding the Middle Ground
Chapter 1ethnically diverse societies, and the conditions that have led to exclusion and discrimination.Is there a middle way which can avoid the oscillation between extremes, or the emphasis on assimilation or integration which has beset the evolution of their modern states?Unless Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka adequately accommodate their minority ethnic groups, and moderate their extremes, they may continue to suffer the consequential impacts an…
Federal and Political Party Reforms in Asia: Is There a New Model of Federal Democracy Emerging in Ethnically Diverse Countries in Asia
How do ethnically divided countries create inclusive and stable democratic institutions? Why do some kinds of federalism fail while others evolve? Scholars looking for answers to these kinds of questions have tended to focus on the West. Yet there are important lessons arising from the substantial democratic and federal reforms that have taken place in Asia over the last few decades. These reforms signal a new model of federal democracy in Asia, …
Federalism and local governance: Exploring multilingualism in local decision-making in Nepal
Under the newly proclaimed federalist constitution, Nepal’s local governments provide the most suitable public space for ordinary people with varying cultural and linguistic identities to exercise participatory local democracy. This paper seeks to empirically understand the extent to which Nepal’s local participatory decision-making mechanisms are helpful for the participation of linguistically minority communities. With the analysis of local dec…
Federalism, constitutional recognition and Indigenous Peoples: How a new identity-based state can be established in Australia
The debate on constitutional recognition of Indigenous Peoples in Australia has highlighted the desire for meaningful responses to Indigenous Peoples’ claims to sovereignty and self-determination. One potential response is to apply federal principles and establish a new state, or states, for Indigenous Peoples in Australia. This proposal has been most prominently put by Tasmanian Aboriginal leader Michael Mansell. Others have followed. However, (…
We returned home empty-handed: Covid-19, care, and contested citizenship of Naga migrant workers in northeast India
COVID-19 highlighted interconnections between matters of identity and citizenship, vulnerability, and inclusion in/exclusion from systems of care in times of crisis. Migrant workers from Nagaland state, northeast India, were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic's socioeconomic consequences. The public health emergency brought into question who is 'Indian' and the citizenship rights attached to that identity, heightening migrants' exclusion…
Moderating polarised positions on questions of national identity and sovereignty: Deliberative surveys on federalism in Myanmar
Myanmar is in an important phase of its political transition. The opportunity for substantive federal reform, which is central to peacebuilding and democratisation, is present and being progressed through parallel elite level forums. However, these elite negotiations have serious limitations, as they fail to reach out to citizens, and contribute to polarisation and the perpetuation of extreme views regarding federalism. To address the absence of …
The Covenant Connection Reexamined: The Nexus between Religions and Federalism in Asia
The covenant connection thesis forms an important basis from which to understand the religious source of federalism. Yet with its Judeo-Christian roots, to what extent does it apply to Asian countries that have different religious traditions? In this article, we explore whether the covenant connection thesis is relevant to Asian federalism in the context of Muslim-, Hindu-, and Buddhist-majority countries. We find that while the presence or absen…
The Road to Federalism in Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka: Finding the Middle Ground
Chapter 1ethnically diverse societies, and the conditions that have led to exclusion and discrimination.Is there a middle way which can avoid the oscillation between extremes, or the emphasis on assimilation or integration which has beset the evolution of their modern states?Unless Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka adequately accommodate their minority ethnic groups, and moderate their extremes, they may continue to suffer the consequential impacts an…
The Origins of Holding-Together Federalism: Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka
Theories on the origin of federalism generally only apply to coming-together federalism. In Asia, some states introduced federalism following decolonization to hold together multiethnic communities, but others centralized and pursued a nation-building agenda. Federalism was not established in Asia again until Nepal’s new constitution of 2015. Why has federalism been resisted and what causes its institutionalization? Using the cases of Nepal, Myan…
Nepal, federalism and participatory constitution-making: Deliberative Democracy and Divided Societies
In 2008, Nepal reintroduced democracy and elected a Constituent Assembly whose first act was to declare a secular federal democratic republic. The Assembly was tasked with engaging the public in a participatory and deliberative process as it drafted, debated and decided a new federal constitution. This article asks how evaluates how deliberative the process was in practice, and whether the deliberative components influenced decision-making. It de…
Moderating polarised positions on questions of national identity and sovereignty: Deliberative surveys on federalism in Myanmar
Myanmar is in an important phase of its political transition. The opportunity for substantive federal reform, which is central to peacebuilding and democratisation, is present and being progressed through parallel elite level forums. However, these elite negotiations have serious limitations, as they fail to reach out to citizens, and contribute to polarisation and the perpetuation of extreme views regarding federalism. To address the absence of …
Federalism, constitutional recognition and Indigenous Peoples: How a new identity-based state can be established in Australia
The debate on constitutional recognition of Indigenous Peoples in Australia has highlighted the desire for meaningful responses to Indigenous Peoples’ claims to sovereignty and self-determination. One potential response is to apply federal principles and establish a new state, or states, for Indigenous Peoples in Australia. This proposal has been most prominently put by Tasmanian Aboriginal leader Michael Mansell. Others have followed. However, (…
Is the military coup in Myanmar the death knell of democracy and federalism
Based on the ENPP whereby one-party system if >1.75; two-party 1.76>2.25;two-and-a-half party systems 2.26>3; multiparty systems with a dominant party 3.01>4.25;and, multiparty systems <4.25+.** Using parties rather than alliances.Source: authors' calculations adapted from Breen (2020)
Federalism and local governance: Exploring multilingualism in local decision-making in Nepal
Under the newly proclaimed federalist constitution, Nepal’s local governments provide the most suitable public space for ordinary people with varying cultural and linguistic identities to exercise participatory local democracy. This paper seeks to empirically understand the extent to which Nepal’s local participatory decision-making mechanisms are helpful for the participation of linguistically minority communities. With the analysis of local dec…
Federal and Political Party Reforms in Asia: Is There a New Model of Federal Democracy Emerging in Ethnically Diverse Countries in Asia
How do ethnically divided countries create inclusive and stable democratic institutions? Why do some kinds of federalism fail while others evolve? Scholars looking for answers to these kinds of questions have tended to focus on the West. Yet there are important lessons arising from the substantial democratic and federal reforms that have taken place in Asia over the last few decades. These reforms signal a new model of federal democracy in Asia, …
The concept and uses of hourglass federalism: A comparative study
Recent international federal debates and reforms have witnessed a shift to emphasizing the local level in federal systems. In particular, the notion of hourglass federalism has been introduced and increasingly used, both in terms of the number of countries it is applied to but also in how it is conceived. However, despite the growing recognition of the prevalence of hourglass approaches, there has been very little written about the idea itself an…
A study of the first five‐year tenure (2017–2022) of provincial governments in Nepal
Nepal introduced federalism in 2015 with three levels of government: federal, provincial, and local. The preamble of the constitution mentions that the country's new federal system of government shall address three key perennial political and policy problems: (i) centralized governance structure, (ii) geographically disbalancing developmental approach, and (iii) social injustice leveraged by caste‐based social structures and unequal economic oppo…
We returned home empty-handed: Covid-19, care, and contested citizenship of Naga migrant workers in northeast India
COVID-19 highlighted interconnections between matters of identity and citizenship, vulnerability, and inclusion in/exclusion from systems of care in times of crisis. Migrant workers from Nagaland state, northeast India, were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic's socioeconomic consequences. The public health emergency brought into question who is 'Indian' and the citizenship rights attached to that identity, heightening migrants' exclusion…
Political science (12 works) · Politics (11 works) · Federalism (10 works) · Law (10 works) · Law (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography (7 works) · Economics (7 works) · Political economy (7 works) · Public Administration (6 works)