When it comes to government too often the focus is on policy and not on the process. Recent developments in the U.S. (the current presidency of Donald Trump) and around the word prove that process (how laws and policies are formulated) and the form of government (the structure and jurisdiction of government institutions and branches) matter just as much, if not more, than policy choices.
Through this blog I intend to explore the U.S. Federal system of governance, and provide explanations on how the system works or how it should work. Furthermore, I will put forth some ideas and recommendations for reforms to the U.S. Federal system, either considering constitutional reform or just ways to reform the system. I am a great believer in the system put together by our founding fathers, and I would like to both see it work better, and see it be used as a model in other parts of the world. That being said, there are many developments on federalism around the work, worthy of consideration and adoption here in the U.S.
I have worked for the U.S. government, and have studied extensively federalism, the rule of law, and the role of governance in promoting economic growth both in the U.S. and around the world. I have also lived in both Europe and the U.S., and I believe my unique perspective could be invaluable to anyone interested in governance.
Enjoy…
Nasos Mihalakas is an academic and a former government policy professional with 20 years of work experience. His subject matter and research focus has been on economic development (international and domestic) through trade and regional integration. Currently Nasos is a Global Professor of Practice in Law at the University of Arizona College of Law, and a Visiting Research Associate at the Athens Institute for Education & Research (ATINER). Prior to that he was an Assistant Professor for International Business and Government Policy, with SUNY Brockport. Nasos also worked for the US Federal Government as a policy analyst in international economic policy issues, first with the U.S. Department of Commerce and then with the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He holds an LLM from the University College London, and a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Contact: n.mihalakas@atiner.gr or nasos.mihalakas@gmail.com
The Federalism Project 