political autonomy
Self-rule for regions
Political autonomy is self-governance—the power of a region, group, or entity to manage its own affairs without outside control.
It falls short of full independence: an autonomous territory remains part of a larger state but controls internal matters like language policy, taxation, or local law.
The province demanded greater political autonomy from the central government.
Indigenous nations have fought to preserve their political autonomy.
- home ruleDelegated local autonomy
- self-ruleGovernance without outside control
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
- free stateRegion with political independence
independence · nation state · constitutional law · self-governance · separatism · territorial rights · devolution · subsidiarity · decolonization · freedom movement · statehood · indigenous rights · tribal sovereignty · secession · nation-building · power-sharing · anti-colonialism · federalism
- autonomyfreedom, self-rule, independence, self-determination, free will
- sovereigntynational sovereignty, statehood, nation, nation-state, state
- Alaska Native Rightsnative rights, tribal sovereignty, native land rights, tribal governance, village councils
- Basque CountryBilbao, Bayonne, San Sebastian, Basque Country, Biarritz
- Scottish PoliticsScottish Parliament, devolution, First Minister, MSPs, independence referendum
- local governancevillage council, mayors, local government, local councils, town meeting
political autonomycentral control
Unified management from one point
centralized control · foreign domination · colonial rule · direct rule · subjection
political autonomyannexation
Absorbing territory into jurisdiction
incorporation · colonization · occupation · dependency · disenfranchisement
political autonomytyranny
Oppressive, absolute governance
despotism · occupation · domination · enslavement · authoritarianism