self-governing
Running its own affairs
Self-governing describes a group, territory, or institution that controls its own affairs without external authority.
A self-governing nation has sovereignty; a self-governing body sets its own rules and policies.
The term applies to political entities like colonies gaining independence, professional organizations, and any system that regulates itself: The university is largely self-governing.
Delegated local autonomy
- devolutionTransferring power locally
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
- localismPreference for nearby things
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
independence · empowerment · grassroots · participatory · autarky · subsidiarity · panchayat · canton
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- charterFounding organizational document
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- assemblyConstructing from components
council · senate · cabinet · ministry · executive · judiciary · electorate · representative
Status as independent country
- statehoodCondition of being sovereign
- independenceFreedom from external control
- territoryLand under jurisdiction
- dominionAuthority to rule
nation-state · republic · commonwealth · mandate · protectorate · colony · decolonization · secession
Organization's internal regulations
- ordinanceOfficial government regulation
- statuteEnacted written rule
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
jurisdiction · enactment · code · decree · policy · mandate · ratification · amendment
home rule
Delegated local autonomy
- devolutionTransferring power locally
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
- localismPreference for nearby things
federalism · independence · empowerment · grassroots · participatory · autarky · subsidiarity · panchayat · canton · commune
constitution
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- charterFounding organizational document
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
assembly · council · senate · cabinet · ministry · executive · judiciary · electorate · representative · councillor
nationhood
Status as independent country
- statehoodCondition of being sovereign
- independenceFreedom from external control
- territoryLand under jurisdiction
dominion · nation-state · republic · commonwealth · mandate · protectorate · colony · decolonization · secession · unilateral
bylaws
Organization's internal regulations
- ordinanceOfficial government regulation
- statuteEnacted written rule
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
legislation · jurisdiction · enactment · code · decree · policy · mandate · ratification · amendment · compliance
- self-sufficiencyoff-grid, homestead, homesteading, subsistence, autarky
- colonial faithPilgrims, Puritans, Calvinism, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony
- decentralizationdecentralized, distribute, spread, disperse, scatter
- unregulatedderegulated, unrestricted, unmonitored, unsupervised, unchecked
- governancedemocracy, vote, parliament, constitution, republic
- independencefreedom, liberty, Independence Day, autonomy, sovereignty
self-governingcolonial
Of occupied territories
dependent · subject · colonized · ruled · subjugated
self-governingautocratic
Ruling with absolute authority
dictatorial · tyrannical · authoritarian · despotic · totalitarian
self, govern, government, governor, selfless, governing, governance, governs, governess