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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

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”

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

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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