The Iraqi Federation: Origin, Operation and Significance

The study is about federalism in Iraq. It examines Iraq as a federation not just as a post-conflict state, as much of the existing literature does. The thesis investigates the origin and formation of the Iraqi federation, as one of the new federal models, and analyses how the process of formation impacts on the operation of the Iraqi federal system. It argues that both the process of formation of the federal state and its operation are of crucial theoretical and empirical significance. The originality of this thesis lies in the fact that it is the first study to link this new federal model to classic federal theory as regards the origins and formation of federations, focusing on the new approach in the formation of federations and the deficiency of classic federal theory in general to explain the origins and formation of the new federal models of which Iraq is the most recent. This thesis considers the different approaches that have been taken by various theorists in the past and in particular bargain theory as put forward by William H. Riker. I argue that although in some respects Riker’s bargain theory can be applied to the formation of the Iraqi federation, in others it is deficient to explain it completely. New literature designed to expose the need to revise the classic federal theory, and the bargain theory in light of formation of the new federal models has only just begun to emerge. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the scholarship by updating and refining classic federal theory in general and the bargain theory in particular. Moreover, by drawing on elite interviews with contemporary political players in Iraq this thesis adds to our understanding of how one of the newest federal states operates in a practical sense. It concludes by looking at the empirical significance of the Iraqi federal model in the context of some comparative perspectives.