Differences in regional power: Devolution and federalism
Differences | UK | US |
Constitutional Protection | Principle of parliamentary sovereignty means that there are no such constitutional protections for regional powers. UK Parliament can pass any law, including new rules to reduce or remove the power of regions | Proved constitutionally protected powers for the regions. Federal government cannot change the Constitution to reduce or remove power of the states. Any such changes would require a constitutional amendment, which requires the support of over ¾ of the states |
Equality of Power | Common to award different levels of power to different regions- asymmetrical power. Some regions have much higher levels of policymaking power than others within UK. Whilst Wales can vary rate of income tax based on bands created by UK government, Scotland can create its own tax bands altogether. Some areas of UK have no power at all; there is no devolved parliament for England and many areas of England have not been given regional devolution. | All regions are given same level of power. Each state has same ability to make laws in specific policy areas and all are limited in the same way, having to comply with federal Constitution, regardless of the size of that state. Large populations states e.g. Texas and California have same policymaking power as small states e.g. Wyoming and Rhode Island |
Level of Power | Growth of Scottish and Welsh nationalism has taken place more recently, being first recognised by the Labour government of 1997. Since them regional power has increased hugely but still not to level of US States | Higher levels of regional power than UK, with states having more power to determine policy than regions in the UK. Constitution created for separate colonies with strong regional identities, who would only agree to form the US as long as there was considerable protections for their power. |
Similarities
Similarities | |
Division of Power | Power is divided between centralised and regional governments. US States and devolved regions both have considerable ability to determine policy, having a great deal of control in areas such as health and welfare, transport, the environment and some economic affairs. Means that there is a policy diversity with in each country. |
Protection of Power | Both expect to be able to maintain high levels of policy control. US States have that power protected in the entrenched Constitution. UK have a strong expectation that they will continue to have devolved power. Whilst there are no legal guarantees, high public support for devolution means that a government with a desire to get re-elected is highly unlikely to attempt to reduce regional power |
Level of Power | Evolving- both countries provide similar levels of regional power in practice. In the US, the power of states has been eroded since 1930s with an increase in federal mandates and a succession of SC rulings that have typically favoured Federal Government Power. Devolved regions of the UK have seen major gains in their power after the Labour government initially created devolution. The threat of Scottish independence pushed Conservative government to award more powers to Scotland especially after the independence referendum of 2014. Wales have experienced considerable increases in control moving form an assembly to a Parliament, with much greater legislative power especially in areas of taxation |