devolution and fragmentation

• devolution: the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration

• autonomous regions

  • autonomous regions have various levels of government to govern ethnic minority regions

    • not completely independent

    • many Indigenous nations follow this model (eg. Navajo nation in the United States and other Indigenous reservations)

    • some religion-based regions, eg. Jewish autonomous regions in Russia

  • both federal and unitary states have autonomous regions

• subnationalism

  • local power increases but belong to nations, not states

  • subnationalists pledge allegiance to regions or other unifying factors rather than states

    • eg. Quebec, Canada

  • goals of subnationalist groups include equality, independence, and development

• balkanization

  • whole state in ethnic conflict

    • eg. Balkan mountain region (1900’s) → communications were difficult to maintain, lots of unique cultural/ethnic groups (eg. Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bulgars, Romanians, etc.)

    • demanding independence 2x in the 20th century

• impact of technology

  • internet, social media, and travel

  • promote globalization (connections)

  • weakened nationalism to an extent (helping subnational groups organize)

  • supported democratization (helping reform movements communicate with each other)

  • created digital divide between states with and without access to the Internet

  • increased time-space compression

• centrifugal and centripetal forces

  • centrifugal force — a uniting force within a population

  • centripetal force — a dividing force within a population

    • some forces can be both centrifugal and centripetal at once, for different reasons

      • eg. political elections unite certain groups under support for a certain leader but divide these groups from each other because of their strong but opposing views

  • centrifugal forces

    • regionalism helps create

    • when minorities are clustered, they become more self-aware of their situation within a larger population

    • this could lead them to try to creak apart from the state (eg. Quebec)

    • globalization has widened the rich/poor gap within states, which is another good example of this kind of force

    • centrifugal forces have largely intensified in recent years with the rise of globalization → decrease in sovereignty and better economic circumstances created empowerment for nations pushing for more autonomy

  • centripetal forces

    • many groups use forces such as political identities, economic state, and cultural practices to promote unity

      • political unity — promoted by:

        • unifying institutions (eg. schools) to educate students on state accomplishments or promoting historically significant holidays

        • promotion of nationalism and pride in national identity

      • economic development — building infrastructure

        • eg. creating higher quality and efficiency transportation opportunities, making better roads/railways, trade can improve as well as communications

          • trade usually benefits certain groups more than others, so this can spur conflict and act as a centrifugal force

        • better transportation = more interaction between ethno-linguistic groups

        • better communications and trade = fewer social barriers

      • cultural practices — often shared with homogenous populations

        • eg. Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan largely observe Ramadan

factors leading to devolution

• administrative, legislative, and judicial power developed among national and subnational governments, whose structures vary by country

• factors such as physical geography, ethnic and linguistic divides, terrorism, economic upheaval, and social unrest can spur/accelerate devolution

  • physical geography

    • isolation → devolution

      • eg. isolation in the Kashmir region of India/Pakistan

    • other physical features which often cause separation are deserts, plateaus, mountain ranges, and bodies of water which prevent transportation across them

  • ethnic separatism

    • because of divisions within and between ethnic groups, social uprisings can be spurred in regions experiencing such conflicts

      • eg. Basques vs. Catalans in Spain

  • terrorism

    • usually by non-government groups, but can be carried out by the government/military forces

      • eg. Basque group fighting for independence in Spain

  • economics

    • uneven development leads to economic inequities

      • eg. Indigenous peoples of the Amazon in South America may be against extraction from and development of their land, especially without benefitting from it

  • social issues

    • can follow geographic boundaries such as pockets of certain cultures or religions

    • social devolution

      • eg. distinct languages in regions of the US and Canada

  • irredentism

    • major form of devolution emphasizing “the restoration to a country of any territory formerly belonging to it”