Does federalism make a difference to policy making in the area of family and domestic violence (FDV)? This article explores this question through a comparison of Australia and New Zealand whose state architecture aside from federalism is very similar. It argues that Australian federalism has provided laboratories for innovative policy making and the continual articulation of a progressive policy response to FDV. By contrast, in New Zealand subnational experiments have occurred, but continuous progressive policy responses have been less evident because centralization accentuates the need for left-wing governments to substantively advance the issue.