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Federalism and the Catholic Principle of Subsidiarity

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  • David Golemboski

Abstract

With the adoption of subsidiarity as a key norm in governance structures of the European Union, the principle has gained a degree of public currency. In this article, I consider subsidiarity as it has been invoked in support of decentralization and federalist political arrangements generally. I note that prevailing conceptions of subsidiarity have tended to neglect or only superficially appreciate its foundations in Catholic social doctrine. This, I contend, is no mere genealogical oversight: the separation of subsidiarity from its theological grounding obscures important features of the normative principle. These features—principally assumptions regarding social ontology and the normative function of civil associations—ultimately render the Catholic principle of subsidiarity incompatible with some of the prescriptive conclusions it is regularly alleged to support.

Suggested Citation

  • David Golemboski, 2015. "Federalism and the Catholic Principle of Subsidiarity," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 45(4), pages 526-551.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:publus:v:45:y:2015:i:4:p:526-551.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/publius/pjv005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Satz, Debra, 2010. "Why Some Things Should Not Be for Sale: The Moral Limits of Markets," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195311594.
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew Minsuk Shin & Jiwon Lee, 2019. "Requirements, Principles, and Performance of Corporate Federalism: A Case of MNC-SME Alliance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Muhammad Adil Rauf & Cameron McCordic & Bruce Frayne, 2025. "The challenges and opportunities of localizing the sustainable development goals in Canadian cities – a subsidiarity check," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(8), pages 18129-18153, August.
    3. Jochimsen Beate, 2018. "Federalism in Germany, Italy, and the European Union: History, Characteristics, and Perspectives," Journal for Markets and Ethics, Sciendo, vol. 6(1), pages 145-154, June.

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