Devolution

Devolution

• Movement of power from the central government to a regional government.

• Example: Northern Ireland received its own Parliament from Great Britain in 2002.

• Can lead to civil unrest or the splitting of a country.

• Triggered by centrifugal forces (events/issues that divide) while centripetal forces unite a state.

Types of Government and Devolution

• Question: Which type of government leads to devolution more: unitary or federal? Why?

Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements

• Ethnic groups or nations that see themselves as distinct from the rest can create devolutionary movements.

• Example: The Former Yugoslavia broke apart in the 1990s based on ethnic and religious lines.

• Centrifugal Forces: Religion, language, ethnicity, which can also act as centripetal forces.

Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements in Eastern Europe

• Illustrated map of Eastern Europe highlighting various ethnic groups:

  • Slavic Groups: Poles, Czechs, Serbs, Croats, Slovaks, Bulgarians, and Ukrainians.

  • Non-Slavic Groups: Hungarians (Magyars), Romanians, Turks, and Albanians.

• Geographic consideration of ethnic diversity in Eastern Europe emphasizes regional identities and potential devolution.

Economic Devolutionary Forces

• Regions feeling economically neglected can seek devolution.

• Example: The island of Sardinia in Italy; it feels neglected economically by the central government.

• Alternatively, economically successful areas may feel held back by the rest of the state, as seen in the Republic of Pampas in southern Brazil.

• Economic frustration acts as a centrifugal force.

Spatial Interaction and Devolution

• Devolutionary movements often occur at the edges of the state (coastal areas, borders, distant from the capital).

• Islands are a common location for devolutionary activities, exemplified by Hawaii.

Summary

• Consideration of other instances of ethnocultural or economic devolution. What are additional examples?