Conclusion

Abstract

Abstract This chapter summarizes the main findings of the entire book, discusses the value of shared rule for political purposes, outlines the limits of the present study, and provides suggestions for further research. To do so, each chapter of this book is briefly summarized and connected to the overall question of what shared rule is and what it does. Three paradoxical effects of federalism are then discussed in terms of policy, polity, and politics, with shared rule presented as a potential remedy to each of the resulting tensions. The three design recommendations introduced at the outset are then rediscussed in light of the evidence presented, thus paving the way for further research into the dynamics, empirics, and effects of shared rule in democratic multilevel governance systems.