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        <full_title>European Archives of Social Sciences</full_title>
        <issn media_type="electronic">3061-9572</issn>
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        <titles>
          <title>Provincial Autonomy and the Erosion of Federal Authority in Canada: The Political Anatomy of a Silent Transformation</title>
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        <contributors>
          <person_name sequence="first" contributor_role="author">
            <given_name>Ali Nazmi</given_name>
            <surname>Çora</surname>
            <affiliations>
              <institution>
                <institution_name>Onbeş Kasım Kıbrıs University</institution_name>
              </institution>
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            <ORCID>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4159-0230</ORCID>
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          <jats:p>This study examines the institutional and functional transformation of Canadian federalism, focusing on the growing trend of provincial autonomy and the corresponding erosion of federal authority. The purpose of the research is to analyse how emerging autonomy-driven initiatives in key provinces—particularly Alberta, Quebec, and British Columbia—are reshaping the coherence and collaborative governance capacity of the Canadian federation. Using qualitative content analysis, the study systematically reviews official policy documents, legislative materials at provincial and federal levels, political discourse, and peer-reviewed academic literature. Findings show that provinces increasingly act independently in areas traditionally under federal jurisdiction, such as energy regulation, immigration, environmental governance, and international relations. Alberta’s Sovereignty Act, Quebec’s functional sovereignty, and British Columbia’s paradiplomatic engagements illustrate a measurable weakening of federal coordination mechanisms. The discussion evaluates the broader implications of this decentralizing shift for national unity, democratic accountability, and Canada’s international posture. The study argues that although Canada is not undergoing an explicit constitutional crisis, it is experiencing a gradual fragmentation of its practical federal architecture—a form of “silent transformation” that challenges the long-term stability of the federation. These findings also indicate that decentralization is becoming institutionalized rather than episodic within the Canadian federal system. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need to revitalize intergovernmental cooperation frameworks to restore institutional clarity and prevent the deepening of administrative disjunctions.</jats:p>
        </jats:abstract>
        <jats:abstract xml:lang="tur">
          <jats:p>Bu araştırma, Kanada federalizminin son yıllarda geçirdiği kurumsal ve işlevsel dönüşümü incelemekte; özellikle eyalet özerkliğinin artmasıyla federal otoritenin giderek zayıfladığı “sessiz bir parçalanma” sürecini sistematik biçimde analiz etmektedir. Çalışmanın amacı, Alberta, Quebec ve Britanya Kolombiyası gibi kilit eyaletlerde gözlemlenen özerklik eğilimlerinin Kanada federasyonunun uyum ve işbirliğine dayalı yönetişim kapasitesi üzerindeki etkilerini karşılaştırmalı bir perspektifle değerlendirmektir. Niteliksel içerik analizi yöntemi benimsenerek 2019–2024 dönemine ait resmi politika belgeleri, eyalet ve federal düzeyde yasama materyalleri, hükümet bildirgeleri, siyasi söylemler ve hakemli akademik literatür sistematik biçimde incelenmiştir. Bulgular; enerji düzenlemesi, göç, çevre politikası ve uluslararası ilişkiler gibi geleneksel olarak federal yetki alanına giren konularda eyaletlerin artan düzeyde bağımsız hareket ettiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Alberta’nın Egemenlik Yasası, Quebec’in işlevsel özerkliği ve Britanya Kolombiyası’nın para-diplomatik açılımları, federal koordinasyon mekanizmalarının somut biçimde zayıfladığını göstermektedir. Saskatchewan ve Newfoundland örnekleri ise bu eğilimin bölgesel bir istisna olmadığını, ulusal ölçekte yapısal bir dönüşümü yansıttığını kanıtlamaktadır. Tartışma bölümünde, söz konusu parçalanmanın Kanada’nın ulusal birlik, demokratik hesap verebilirlik ve uluslararası temsil gücü üzerindeki uzun vadeli yapısal sonuçları irdelenmiştir. Araştırma ayrıca hükümetlerarası işbirliği mekanizmalarının yeniden güçlendirilmesinin kurumsal tutarlılığın sağlanması açısından zorunlu olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Sonuç olarak, Kanada federasyonu açık bir anayasal kriz yaşamamakla birlikte, federal otoritenin fiilî olarak aşındığı ve federasyonun uzun vadeli sürdürülebilirliğini tehdit eden sessiz ama derin bir yeniden yapılanma sürecine girdiği ileri sürülmektedir.</jats:p>
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        <publication_date media_type="online">
          <month>04</month>
          <day>27</day>
          <year>2026</year>
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          <item_number item_number_type="article_number">e262004</item_number>
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