The State: Devolution, Federalism, and Regionalism

Territorial Dimension of Politics

• Sovereignty Logic

  • States exercise exclusive control within territorial borders.

  • Territory=institutional authority.

• Nationalism Logic

  • Territory becomes identity-based→nation + territory = nation-state

  • Politics structures emotional/community belonging.

• Imperial Power/Logic

  • Territorial control = extraction, security, and resource domination.

  • Political power requires governing physical space.

In recent years, more regional identity means more decentralization.

Multilevel Governance

Proposed by Hooghe & Marks

The dispersion of authority upward and downward (Ex. Upward, EU & Downard, Local)

• Functionalist Logic (service delivery)

  • Each public good has an “optimal scale.”

  • Creates Russian doll governance levels

  • Primary Goal: Efficiency

• Self-Rule Logic (identity & community)

  • Groups want autonomy based on identity.

  • Governance should follow community boundaries.

  • Primary Goal: Legitimacy

Drivers: Identity, Democracy, Global Interdependence, Wealth, Peace

Federalism

Key Features:

• Two levels of government (central + regional).

• Both bodies have constitutional protections.

• Shared sovereignty - neither level can change the system.

Why?

• History (separate communities joining together)

• External threats (need a stronger government)

• Large geography/diversity

Variations

• Asymmetric Federalism: federation gives different powers and autonomy to its constituent states or regions, creating an unequal distribution of power

• Dual Federalism: federal and state governments have distinct and separate spheres of power, operating in an “us vs. them” framework without collaboration

• Cooperative Federalism: national and state governments work together on common goals

Unitary Systems

Key Features:

• One central authority holds sovereignty

• Regions only have powers the central government chooses to give.

• The central government can reform or remove regional bodies at will.

In practice, culture/history also make the central/periphery relationship complex.

Two Sub-Types:

1. Local government (administrative, no sovereignty)

2. Devolved assemblies (political power, but not sovereign)

Devolution

Central government gives powers to regional bodies within a unitary state.

Forms:

1. Administrative: regions carry out policies from the central government.

2. Legislative (“home rule”): regions can make their own policies.

Even if not sovereign, developed bodies become politically strong and are hard to abolish once they gain legitimacy.

Pros of Both

Unitary Strengths:

• Efficiency in small states

• National unity

• Uniform standards

Federal Strengths:

• Good for large/diverse states

• Checks and balances

• Keeps some government more accessible/close to the people.

It is a continuum, not a simple either/or division.

EU as Multilevel Governance

• EU is not a federation but works like a federal union (shared-rule + self-rule).

• Overlapping authority across supranational, national, regional levels.