Why and how does secession happen? How do different levels of government interact with each other? Why do some multilevel governments work better than others? What makes political extremism so virulent in today's society? These are some of the most pressing questions in political science today.

These questions and research areas – secession, multilevel government, and political economy – were the focus of the writing and scholarship of Robert (Bob) Andrew Young (1950–2017), Canada Research Chair in Multilevel Governance at the University of Western Ontario and one of Canada's most distinguished political scientists. In Across Boundaries Young's former colleagues and students bring together contributions from his extensive network, which included academics, government officials, and media personalities. These essays speak to Young's legacy while providing new insight into research in multilevel governance, secession, and political economy.

Young's body of work is exemplary in its attention to concrete policy issues as well as in the breadth of his interest across many subfields of political science. Across Boundaries honours his distinguished career and gives students, professors, and practitioners further insight into his scholarship.

Andr� Blais is Professor of Political Science and Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies at the Universit� de Montr�al.

André Blais' profile page

Cristine de Clercy is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Studies and a research fellow with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan.

Cristine de Clercy's profile page

Anna Lennox Esselment is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo.

Anna Lennox Esselment's profile page

Ronald Wintrobe is professor of economics at the University of Western Ontario. His work is mostly about political and bureaucratic behaviour from an economic point of view, and he is the author of The Political Economy of Dictatorships.

Ronald Wintrobe's profile page

"The editors have succeeded in assembling a high-quality set of essays fully reflective of Robert Young's interests and achievements. Given the continuing importance of the topics to which Young devoted most of his academic career, and the affection and esteem in which he is held by former students and colleagues across Canada, this volume is something most of us will want to read and share. It is a fitting tribute to Young's legacy." Herman Bakvis, University of Victoria