Devolution
Devolution is the process through which a central government transfers specific political powers to smaller government bodies, allowing for a degree of political autonomy while remaining under the central authority's oversight. This concept gained prominence during the mid-20th century, particularly in the context of decolonization in Africa, where newly independent nations sought self-governance after the withdrawal of European colonial powers. A notable example of devolution in practice is the United Kingdom, where Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland gained legislative powers in the late 1990s following public referenda. These regions now manage various local affairs, such as education and health care, although the British Parliament retains certain powers, including foreign policy and national security.
In addition to the UK, Kenya introduced devolution in its 2010 constitution to promote inclusive governance and combat the centralization of authority that had led to corruption. While devolution is often viewed as a peaceful alternative to past conflicts, it has faced criticism for potentially contributing to globalization and economic challenges in certain contexts. Nonetheless, proponents argue that it fosters local participation and peace between central and regional governments. Overall, devolution represents a significant shift towards recognizing the importance of local governance within larger national frameworks.
Devolution
Devolution is the process by which a central government transfers some political powers to a smaller government body that remains under the main government's authority. Devolution became associated with decolonization in the mid-twentieth century, particularly in Africa, where several European empires had established colonies decades earlier. The end of World War II in 1945 forced these former empires to give up their colonies as cost-saving measures, and with independence the African people had the desire for widespread self-government. In the 1960s, for example, many citizens of the newly independent country of Kenya supported devolution as a way to prevent the return of authoritarian rule.
Most discussions of devolution in the twenty-first century mention the successful model of the United Kingdom. The countries of Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland have all been largely politically autonomous since the British Parliament devolved legislative powers to them in the late 1990s. Political commentators have argued that popular support for devolution into the twenty-first century is part of a trend in which increasing numbers of people desire simply to govern themselves.
Background
By definition, devolution refers to the delegation of some political powers from a central government to a smaller government body, such as a regional parliament. Devolution grants the regional organization a degree of political autonomy, but the central government still officially wields authority over all bodies with devolved powers. Devolution is distinct from federalism, a system in which the federal, or centralized, government of a country holds the highest authority but by law continues to share power with various individual state governments. Unlike government bodies with devolved powers, states in federal systems hold political powers that central governments cannot seize.
Devolution is a practice primarily of the late twentieth century and twenty-first century. It is regarded as a peaceful alternative to the sometimes violent colonization and decolonization of past eras. In the 1880s, powerful European empires such as those of Great Britain, France, and Germany began colonizing Africa extensively to exploit the continent's natural resources. The empires' imposing military strength eventually discouraged the African people from resisting colonial rule. These African colonies proved lucrative ventures for the European empires for approximately seven decades.
At the end of World War I (1914-1918), US President Woodrow Wilson presented his Fourteen Points, or fourteen principles for peace in the world, to the major powers of Europe. One of the points was that colonized nations should be granted the right of self-determination, the power to rule themselves. The major European empires rejected this idea, but they were forced finally to begin giving up their territories in Africa and elsewhere after World War II, which had drained their national treasuries.
Over the second half of the twentieth century, the United Kingdom, France, and the various other European nations that had colonized parts of Africa and Asia began withdrawing from these areas. They allowed formerly colonized peoples to found their own independent countries. This eventually led to the creation of more than seventy-five new nations.
All these countries had been granted full sovereignty by their former rulers. Devolution later became the process by which specific regions and various lower levels of government within one independent country acquired degrees of political autonomy over their own affairs.
Overview
In the twenty-first century, the United Kingdom is one of the most famous examples of the successful devolution of powers from a central government to various smaller government bodies. In the late 1990s, the British government held referenda, or national votes, in its territories of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on the question of whether these countries should be able to form legislative assemblies or parliaments to wield powers devolved from the British Parliament. The referenda for Wales and Scotland were held in September 1997, while Northern Ireland's occurred in May 1998. All three countries voted in favor of receiving devolved powers from the central British government in London.
In 1998, the British Parliament created the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, all of which hold powers once exercised by the central British government. The three countries now control their own agriculture, education, and health care. Wales and Scotland regulate their own housing markets, fire services, and local governments, while Northern Ireland controls its trade, policing, and social services. Officially, the British Parliament retains the right to overrule the three legislatures on any of these devolved matters, but it claimed it would never interfere in this way without the approval of the respective devolved legislature. Powers the British Parliament reserves for itself include foreign policy, economic policy, energy, and defense and national security.
A notable twenty-first-century example of peaceful devolution within one nation is Kenya, which allowed for the practice in its constitution of 2010. The constitution grants certain governmental powers to Kenya's numerous counties. The counties may autonomously legislate in devolved areas of Kenyan life. The practice of devolution is protected by the constitution and cannot be eliminated from the Kenyan government unless two-thirds of the Parliament of Kenya votes to amend the document.
According to the Kenyan online news site the Star, many Kenyans supported the idea of devolution due to Kenya's many years of authoritarian colonial rule under the provincial administration (PA). Under the direction of the colonial governor of Kenya, the PA dictated all matters of law, from the country's capital city to the most remote village. Kenya became independent in the early 1960s, after which the government remained centralized and corruption flourished. This corruption was an important factor in the rise of the pro-devolution movement in Kenya. Supporters of Kenyan devolution in the twenty-first century asserted that the practice benefited the entire country because it invited all Kenyans, particularly ethnic minorities, to participate in governing themselves.
Devolution as an institution does not enjoy unanimous praise in the twenty-first century. Some criticize it as leading to the further globalization, or the process of international businesses and governments becoming connected. Most arguments against globalization are economic, as they claim the process exports jobs to less-developed countries. Supporters of devolution assert the practice promotes peace among central governments and their outlying regions—for example, in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, and Finland.
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