regional autonomy
Subnational governmental independence
Regional autonomy is a political arrangement where a geographic area within a larger country governs itself in certain matters—education, language policy, local taxation—while remaining part of the nation.
The central government typically retains control over defense, foreign policy, and currency.
Catalonia has long sought greater regional autonomy from Spain.
The degree of autonomy varies widely, from token self-governance to near-independence.
- devolutionTransferring power locally
- power sharingDistributing authority among groups
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- federal systemGovernment with layered jurisdictions
subsidiarity · sovereignty · legislative authority · self-governance · cultural heritage · indigenous rights · tribal lands · self-rule · constitutional law · home rule · grass roots · provincial government · self-determination · territorial governance · minority representation · special status · homeland · border regions
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- lawslaws, statute, ordinance, acts, statutes
- Italian HistoryRome, Venice, Florence, Naples, Sicily
- Belgian HistoryBelgium, independence movement, King Leopold, constitutional monarchy, national congress
- decentralizationdecentralized, distribute, spread, disperse, scatter
- governance reformsconstitutional convention, constitutional court, amendment process, bill of rights, checks and balances
regional autonomycentralization
Unifying control in one place
central control · centralized government · central authority · centralized power · direct rule
regional autonomysecession
Formal withdrawal from union
separatism · annexation · independence · national independence · national unification
regional autonomystandardization
Implementing uniform technical specifications
homogenization · uniform policy · national standards · conformity · harmonization