3.7: devolution

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

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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”

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