"This comparative volume looks at the track record of several defunct federalisms to identify options that have been overlooked and decisions that precipitated the collapse. By bringing together insights from the study of state failure and federal collapse, it argues that parallel assessment is crucial for suggesting the complex structures of identity accommodation in federal identities." "Ideal for advanced undergraduates and graduate students as well as university lecturers and researchers working on the issues related to contemporary federalism, history of federal units and the questions of national identity."--Jacket.