devolved
Went downhill fast
Devolved is the past tense of devolve, meaning to pass or transfer to another, especially by succession or delegation: Power devolved to the regional assemblies.
More commonly now, devolved describes deterioration or decline into a worse state: The meeting devolved into chaos, The conversation devolved into name-calling.
This negative sense dominates contemporary usage.
Distributing power from center
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- home ruleDelegated local autonomy
subsidiarity · sovereignty · regionalism · power-sharing · localism · delegation · jurisdiction · authority
Became worse over time
- declinedRefused or diminished
- regressedReturned to earlier state
- degeneratedDeclined from better state
- degradedReduced in rank or quality
decayed · backslid · reverted · worsened · relapsed · retrograded · descended · collapsed
Assigned to a subordinate
- transferredMoved to new location
- cededFormally gave up rights
- redistributedAllocated again differently
- relinquishedGave up possession of
handed over · surrendered · passed down · allocated · reassigned · entrusted · conferred · granted
In earliest form
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- atavisticReverting to ancestral type
- throwbackReturn to ancestral type
- regressionReturn to former state
vestigial · simplified · rudimentary · undifferentiated · reversion
decentralization
Distributing power from center
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
home rule · subsidiarity · sovereignty · regionalism · power-sharing · localism · delegation · jurisdiction · authority · governance
deteriorated
Became worse over time
- declinedRefused or diminished
- regressedReturned to earlier state
- degeneratedDeclined from better state
degraded · decayed · backslid · reverted · worsened · relapsed · retrograded · descended · collapsed · disintegrated
delegated
Assigned to a subordinate
- transferredMoved to new location
- cededFormally gave up rights
- redistributedAllocated again differently
handed over · relinquished · surrendered · passed down · allocated · reassigned · entrusted · conferred · granted · bestowed
primitive
In earliest form
regression · vestigial · simplified · rudimentary · undifferentiated · reversion
devolvedevolved
Changed through successive generations
advanced · progressed · improved · developed · ascended
devolvedcentralized
Concentrated in one location
consolidated · centralized power · concentrated · unified · nationalized
devolvedretained
Continued to hold
assumed · reclaimed · centralized · absorbed · taken back