A State Out of Sight—Which Became Increasingly Visible

Abstract

In this chapter, I start with a broad review of the development of the US federal sector—showing how an originally very limited action profile was eventually expanded, due to new ambitions in both the social and the military realm. I then proceed to an international comparison, asking two questions: First, does the current federal profile deviate from that found in the OECD generally? The answer here is both yes and no. Second, to what extent has the federal expansion brought with it a more federalist and centralist order, comparatively speaking? Here a surprising likeness to another federal state comes to light.