View source for Devolution

{{short description|Granting of some competences of central government to local government}}
{{About|the form of government|other uses}}
{{Redirect|Devolved parliament|the painting|Devolved Parliament (Banksy){{!}}''Devolved Parliament'' (Banksy)}}
{{See also|Subsidiarity|Subsidiarity (European Union)}}
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{{More citations needed|article|date=May 2008}} 
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{{Basic Forms of government}}
[[File:Plenum vid BSPC 19 i Mariehamn pa aland.jpg|thumb|The [[Parliament of Åland]]]]
'''Devolution''' is the [[statutory]] delegation of powers from the [[central government]] of a [[sovereign state]] to govern at a [[administrative division|subnational]] level, such as a regional or [[local government|local]] level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20130702112133671|title=What is devolution?|website=BBC Academy|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> It is a form of administrative [[decentralization]]. Devolved territories have the power to make [[legislation]] relevant to the area, thus granting them a higher level of [[Autonomous administrative division|autonomy]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/first_time_voter/8589835.stm|title=Devolution: A beginner's guide|date=2010-04-29|access-date=2019-02-22|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Devolution differs from [[federalism]] in that the devolved powers of the subnational authority may be temporary and are reversible, ultimately residing with the central government. Thus, the state remains ''[[de jure]]'' [[unitary state|unitary]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.channel4.com/news/devolution-manchester-george-osborne-powers-cities-bill-northern-powerhouse|title=Devolution: what is it and what powers would cities get?|website=Channel 4 News|date=14 May 2015|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> [[Legislation]] creating devolved [[parliament]]s or [[Deliberative assembly|assemblies]] can be [[repeal]]ed or amended by central government in the same way as any statute. In [[federal system]]s, by contrast, sub-unit government is guaranteed in the [[constitution]], so the powers of the sub-units cannot be withdrawn unilaterally by the central government (i.e. not without the process of constitutional amendment). The sub-units therefore have a lower degree of protection under devolution than under [[federalism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publiclawforeveryone.com/2014/01/08/devolution-federalism-and-a-new-constitution-for-the-uk/|title=Devolution, federalism and a new constitution for the UK|date=2014-01-08|website=Public Law for Everyone|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

==Australia==
[[Australia]] is a federation. It has six states and two territories with less power than states.

The [[Australian Capital Territory]] refused self-government in a 1978 referendum, but was given limited self-government by a [[Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly|House of Assembly]] from 1979, and a [[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] with wider powers in 1988.

The [[Northern Territory]] refused [[Proposed Northern Territory statehood|statehood]] in a [[1998 Northern Territory referendum|1998 referendum]]. The rejection was a surprise to both the Australian and Northern Territory governments.

Territory legislation can be disallowed by the Commonwealth Parliament in Canberra, with one notable example being the NT's short-lived [[voluntary euthanasia]] [[Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995|legislation]].

==Canada==
{{see also|Territorial evolution of Canada}}
Although Canada is a [[Federation|federal state]], a large portion of its land mass in the north is under the legislative jurisdiction of the federal government (called [[Provinces and territories of Canada|territories, as opposed to provinces]]). This has been the case since 1870. In 1870 the [[Deed of Surrender]] or 'Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory Order' effected the admission of [[Rupert's Land]] and the [[North-Western Territory]] to Canada, pursuant to section 146 of the [[Constitution Act, 1867]] and the [[Rupert's Land Act 1868]]. The [[Manitoba Act, 1870]], which created [[Manitoba]] out of part of Rupert's Land, also designated the remainder of both the Northwest Territories (NWT), over which Parliament was to exercise full legislative authority under the [[Constitution Act, 1871]].

[[Yukon]] was carved from the Northwest Territories in 1898 but remained a territory. In 1905, the provinces of [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]] were carved from the [[Northwest Territories]]. Portions of [[Rupert's Land]] were added to the provinces of [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]], extending those provinces northward from their previous narrow band around the [[St. Lawrence River|St. Lawrence]] and lower [[Great Lakes]]. The [[District of Ungava]] was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories from 1895 to 1912. The continental areas of said district were transferred by the [[Parliament of Canada]] with the adoption of the [[Quebec Boundary Extension Act, 1898]] and the [[Quebec Boundaries Extension Act, 1912]]. The status of the interior of [[Labrador]] that was believed part of Ungava was settled in 1927 by the British [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]], which ruled in favour of the [[Dominion of Newfoundland]]. The offshore islands to the west and north of Quebec remained part of the Northwest Territories which was transformed into Nunavut in 1999.

Since the 1970s, the federal government has been transferring its regional decision-making powers to territorial governments. This means greater local control and accountability by northerners for decisions central to the future of the territories. In 1999, the federal government created [[Nunavut]] pursuant to a land claim agreement reached with [[Inuit]], the indigenous people of Canada's [[Arctic]]. Since that time, the federal government has slowly devolved legislative jurisdiction to the territories. Enabling the territories to become more self-sufficient and prosperous and to play a stronger role in the Canadian federation is considered a key component to development in [[Northern Canada|Canada's North]]. Among the three territories, devolution is most advanced in Yukon.

On June 18, 2021, [[Nunatsiavut]], the [[Indigenous self-government in Canada|Inuit self-government]] in [[Labrador]],  stated that it had begun the process of seeking devolution of [[Child protective services|child protection services]] from the [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] [[Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development]] with the goal for negotiations to conclude within three years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://vocm.com/2021/06/18/nunatsiavut-government-developing-plan-to-take-over-child-welfare-services-in-labrador-from-provincial-government/ |title=Nunatsiavut to Self-Govern Child Welfare Services in Labrador Inuit Communities |newspaper=VOCM |date=2021-06-18 |access-date=2022-02-28|author1=Jolene Grimes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/nunatsiavut-government-is-taking-over-child-welfare-system-for-labrador-inuit-100601869/|title = Nunatsiavut Government planning to take over child-welfare system for Labrador Inuit &#124; SaltWire | last1=Careen | first1=Evan }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=NTV News |url=http://ntv.ca/nunatsiavut-government-planning-to-take-control-of-child-welfare-services/ |title=Nunatsiavut Government planning to take control of child welfare services |publisher=ntv.ca |date=2021-06-18 |access-date=2022-02-28 |archive-date=2022-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702073058/http://ntv.ca/nunatsiavut-government-planning-to-take-control-of-child-welfare-services/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Northwest Territories===
The [[Northwest Territories]] (NWT) was governed from [[Ottawa]] from 1870 until the 1970s, except for the brief period between 1898 and 1905 when it was governed by an elected assembly. The [[Carrothers Commission]] was established in April 1963 by the government of [[Lester B. Pearson]] to examine the development of government in the NWT. It conducted surveys of opinion in the NWT in 1965 and 1966 and reported in 1966. Major recommendations included that the [[History of Northwest Territories capital cities|seat of government should be located in the territory]]. [[Yellowknife]] was selected as the territorial capital as a result. Transfer of many responsibilities from the federal government was recommended and carried out. This included responsibility for education, small business, public works, social services and local government. Since the report, the [[Politics of the Northwest Territories|government of the Northwest Territories]] has taken over responsibilities for several other programs and services including the delivery of health care, social services, education, administration of airports, and forestry management. The legislative jurisdiction of the [[Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories|territorial legislature]] is set out in section 16 of the ''Northwest Territories Act''.

Now, the government of Canada is negotiating the transfer of the Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada's remaining provincial-type responsibilities in the NWT. These include the legislative powers, programs and responsibilities for land and resources associated with the department's Northern Affairs Program (NAP) with respect to:

* Powers to develop, conserve, manage, and regulate of surface and subsurface natural resources in the NWT for mining and minerals (including oil and gas) administration, water management, land management and environmental management;
* Powers to control and administer public land with the right to use, sell or otherwise dispose of such land; and
* Powers to levy and collect resource royalties and other revenues from natural resources.

The Government of the Northwest Territories, the Aboriginal Summit and the Government of Canada have each appointed a Chief Negotiator to work on devolution. A Framework Agreement was concluded in 2004. The target date for the completion of devolution talks for the NWT was March 2007. However, stumbling blocks associated with the transfer of current federal employees to the territorial government, and the unresolved issue of how much money the Northwest Territories will receive for its resources has delayed the conclusion of a devolution agreement for the NWT.

===Nunavut===
In 1966, the federal government established the [[Carrothers Commission]] to look at the issue of government in the north. After extensive study and consultation, the Commission concluded that division of the NWT was probably both advisable and inevitable. There was a recognition that Northerners wanted to run their own affairs and must be given the opportunity to do so. At the same time, however, it noted that governmental reform was required before this could happen. It recommended the establishment of a new system of representative government. As a result, in the late 1960s and 1970s, the federal government gradually created electoral constituencies and transferred many federally run programs to the territorial government. Northerners took on more and more responsibility for the day-to-day running of their own affairs. In [[1982 Northwest Territories division plebiscite|1982 a plebiscite was held in the NWT]] asking the question, "Do you think the NWT should be divided?" Of the eligible voters 53  percent participated in the plebiscite, with 56.4 percent of them voting "yes". Voter turnout and support for division was particularly strong in the Eastern Arctic. The Inuit population of the eastern section of the territory had become increasingly receptive of the idea of self-government. It was viewed as the best way to promote and protect their culture and traditions and address their unique regional concerns.

Both the NWT Legislative Assembly and the federal government accepted the idea of dividing the territory. The idea was viewed as an important step towards enabling the [[Inuit]], and other residents of the Central and Eastern Arctic, to take charge of their own destiny. There were some reservations, however. Before action could be taken, certain practical considerations had to be addressed. First of all, outstanding land claims had to be settled. Second, all parties had to [[1992 Northwest Territories jurisdictional boundaries plebiscite|agree on a new boundary]]. Finally, all parties had to agree on the division of powers between territorial, regional and local levels of government. The various governments and native groups worked closely together to realize these goals. The ''[[Nunavut Land Claims Agreement]]'' was ratified by the Inuit in November 1992, signed by the Prime Minister of Canada on May 25, 1993, and passed by the Canadian Parliament in June of the same year. It was the largest native land claim settlement in Canadian history. It gave the Inuit title over {{cvt|350,000|km2}}. It also gave the Inuit capital transfers from the federal government of over $1.1&nbsp;billion over the next 14 years. This money will be held in trust with the interest to be used in a variety of different projects, including financing for regional businesses and scholarships for students. The Inuit also gained a share of resource royalties, hunting rights and a greater role in managing the land and protecting the environment. The land claims agreement also committed the Government of Canada to recommend to Parliament legislation to create a new territory in the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.

While negotiations on a land claims settlement progressed, work was also taking place to determine potential jurisdictional boundaries for a new Eastern Territory. A proposal was presented to all NWT voters in a May 1992 plebiscite. Of those voting, 54 percent supported the proposed boundary. The Government of the Northwest Territories, [[Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated]] (the Inuit claims organization) and the federal government formally adopted the boundary for division in the Nunavut Political Accord. The final piece of the equation fit into place on June 10, 1993, when the ''[[History of Nunavut|Nunavut Act]]'' received [[Royal assent|Royal Assent]]. It officially established the territory of Nunavut and provided a legal framework for its government. It fixed April 1, 1999, as the day on which the new territory would come into existence.

The government of [[Nunavut]] is currently negotiating with the government of Canada on a devolution agreement. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the organization of Inuit of Nunavut, is also a participant to negotiations to ensure that Inuit interests are represented.

Devolution over natural resources to the government of Nunavut moved forward with the appointment of a Ministerial Representative for Nunavut Devolution. The representative has held meetings with interested parties including the boards established under the [[Nunavut Land Claims Agreement]] (NLCA), territorial and federal government departments in order to determine if devolution will occur and if so the future mandate of devolution. The government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik have appointed negotiators.

===Yukon===
In 1896, prospectors discovered gold in [[Yukon]], which prompted a massive [[Klondike Gold Rush|gold rush]] that saw the population of Yukon grow very rapidly. By 1898, [[Dawson City|Dawson]] grew into the largest Canadian city west of [[Winnipeg]], with a population of 40,000. In response, the Canadian government officially established the Yukon Territory in 1898. The [[North-West Mounted Police]] were sent in to ensure Canadian jurisdiction and the ''Yukon Act'' provided for a commissioner to administer the territory. The 1898 statute granted the Commissioner in Council "the same powers to make ordinances... as are possessed by the Lieutenant Governor of the North-west Territories, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly thereof". In 1908 amendments to the ''Yukon Act'' transformed the Council into an elected body.

Over time the territorial government exercised expanded functions. Relevant developments include the following:

* By the mid-1960s, schools, public works, welfare, and various other matters of a local nature had come under territorial administration.
* Increased authority of elected Council members over the ensuing period contributed to significant changes in the Yukon Commissioner's role. In 1979, instructions from the [[Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations|Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]] (Minister) directed the Commissioner to allow elected members and the Executive Council to make important policy decisions, specifying that his/her actions should normally be based on the advice and taken with the consent of the elected Executive Council.
* As in the Northwest Territories, federal responsibilities were transferred to the Yukon government in the 1980s. In 1988 the Minister and the Yukon Government Leader signed a [[Memorandum of understanding|Memorandum of Understanding]] committing the parties to smooth the progress of devolution of remaining province-like responsibilities to the Yukon Government. Responsibilities transferred since then include fisheries, mine safety, intra-territorial roads, hospitals and community-health care, oil-and-gas and, most recently, natural resources.
* Discussion to transfer land- and resource-management responsibilities to the [[Legislature of Yukon|Yukon Government]] began in 1996, followed by a formal federal devolution proposal to the Yukon Government in January 1997. In September 1998 a Devolution Protocol Accord to guide devolution negotiations was signed. On August 28, 2001, a final draft of the Devolution Transfer Agreement was completed for consideration. The Yukon Devolution transfer Agreement was concluded on October 29, 2001, with the Government of Canada enabling the transfer of remaining province-like responsibilities for land, water and resource management to the Government of Yukon on April 1, 2003.

==France==
{{main|Decentralisation in France}}

In the late 1980s a process of [[decentralisation]] was undertaken by the [[Government of France|French government]]. Initially regions were created and elected regional assemblies set up. Together with the departmental councils these bodies have responsibility for infrastructure spending and maintenance (schools and highways) and certain social spending. They collect revenues through property taxes and various other taxes. In addition a large part of spending is provided by direct grants to such authorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/news-opinion/look-french-great-devolution-battle-11424847|title=Look to French in great devolution battle|last=Game|first=Chris|date=2016-06-06|website=birminghampost|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

There also are groups calling for devolution or full independence for [[Occitania]], the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]], [[Corsica]], [[Alsace]], and [[Brittany]].

==Mexico==

===The Federal District===
All constituent [[political divisions of Mexico|states of Mexico]] are fully autonomous and comprise a federation. The Federal District, originally integrated by [[Mexico City]] and other municipalities, was created in 1824 to be the capital of the federation. As such, it was governed directly by the central or federal government and the [[president of Mexico]] appointed its governor or executive regent. Even though the municipalities within the Federal District were autonomous, their powers were limited. In 1928, these municipalities were abolished and transformed into non-autonomous {{lang|es|[[delegación|delegaciones]]}} or boroughs and a "Central Department", later renamed as Mexico City. In 1970 this department was split into four new ''delegaciones'', and Mexico City was constitutionally defined to be synonymous and coterminous with the entire Federal District.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://constitucion.gob.mx/index.php?art_id=44 |title=Article 44, Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, Second Title, Second Chapter, 44th article |access-date=2007-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011529/http://constitucion.gob.mx/index.php?art_id=44 |archive-date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (As such, the [[boroughs of the Mexican Federal District|boroughs of the Federal District]] are boroughs of Mexico City).

In the 1980s, the citizens of the Federal District, being the most populated federal entity in Mexico, began to demand home rule: a devolution of autonomy in order to directly elect their head of government and to set up a Legislative Assembly. In 1987, an Assembly of Representatives was created, by constitutional decree, whose members were elected by popular vote. The devolution of the executive power was not granted until 1997 when the first [[head of Government of the Federal District|head of government]] was elected by popular vote. Finally, in 2000, power was devolved to the ''delegaciones'', though limited: residents can now elect their own "heads of borough government" (''jefes delegacionales'', in Spanish), but the ''delegaciones'' do not have regulatory powers and are not constituted by a board of trustees, like the [[municipalities of Mexico|municipalities of the constituent states]].

The autonomy, or home rule, of the Federal District, was granted by the federal government, which in principle has the right to remove it. The president of Mexico still holds the final word in some decisions (e.g. he must approve some posts), and the [[Congress of Mexico|Congress of the Union]] reviews the budget of the Federal District and sets the limit to its debt.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.finanzas.df.gob.mx/documentos/CodigoFinanciero_2007.pdf |title=Código Financiero del Distrito Federal |access-date=2007-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808005758/http://www.finanzas.df.gob.mx/documentos/CodigoFinanciero_2007.pdf |archive-date=2007-08-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Some left-wing groups and political parties have advocated, since the 1980s, for a full devolution of powers by transforming the Federal District into the thirty-second constituent state of the Federation (with the proposed name of "State of the Valley of Mexico", to be distinguished from the [[state of México]]; another proposed name is "State of the Anahuac").

===Indigenous peoples===
In a recent amendment to the [[Constitution of Mexico]], the country was defined as a "pluricultural nation" founded upon the "[[indigenous peoples]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://info4.juridicas.unam.mx/ijure/fed/9/3.htm?s=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811193236/http://info4.juridicas.unam.mx/ijure/fed/9/3.htm?s=|url-status=dead|title=Second Article of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States|archive-date=August 11, 2007}}</ref> They are granted "free-determination" to choose the social, economic, cultural and political organization for which they are to elect representatives democratically in whatever manner they see fit, traditionally or otherwise, as long as women have the same opportunities to participate in their social and political life. There are, however, no prescribed limits to their territories, and they are still under the jurisdiction of the municipalities and states in which they are located; the indigenous peoples can elect representatives before the municipal councils. In practice, they are allowed to have an autonomous form of self-government, but they are still subject to the rights and responsibilities set forth by the federal constitution and the constitution of the states in which they are located.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eia.gov.nt.ca/en/priorities/implementing-devolution-agreement/aboriginal-peoples-and-devolution|title=Aboriginal Peoples and Devolution|last=Affairs|first=Executive and Indigenous|website=www.eia.gov.nt.ca|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

==Spain==
{{main|Nationalities and regions of Spain}}

The [[Spanish Constitution]] of 1978 granted [[self-government|autonomy]] to the ''nationalities'' and regions of which the [[Kingdom of Spain]] is composed. (See also ''[[autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous communities]] and [[autonomous cities of Spain|cities of Spain]]'')

Under the "system of autonomies" ({{langx|es|Estado de las Autonomías}}), Spain has been quoted to be "remarkable for the extent of the powers peacefully devolved over the past 30 years"<ref name="Mallet">{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de6c00f0-8c25-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de6c00f0-8c25-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Flimsier footings|last=Mallet|first=Victor|date=18 August 2010|newspaper=Financial Times|access-date=25 August 2010}}{{Registration required}}</ref> and "an extraordinarily decentralised country", with the central government accounting for just 18% of public spending; the regional governments 38%, the local councils 13% and the social-security system the rest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12501023|title=A survey of Spain: How much is enough?|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=25 August 2010|date=6 November 2008}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

In 2010 the Constitutional Court ruled that referendums of any kind, defined as measuring the public opinion of all voting citizens (''apellatio ad populum'') can't be held without government approval.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fernández Ramos |first1=Severiano |title=Las consultas populares no referendarias mediante votación: ¿un artificio del derecho público español? |url=https://laadministracionaldia.inap.es/noticia.asp?id=1510249 |website=La Administración al Día |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública |access-date=12 August 2024 |language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sentencia Tribunal Constitucional 31/2010, Fundamentos (nº69) |url=https://hj.tribunalconstitucional.es/HJ/en/Resolucion/Show/6670#complete_resolucion&fundamentos |website=hj.tribunalconstitucional.es |publisher=Tribunal Constitucional |access-date=12 August 2024}}</ref>

On December 12, 2013, the [[Government of Catalonia|Catalan Government]] announced that a [[2014 Catalan self-determination referendum|referendum]] would be held on [[self-determination]]. The central government of Spain considers that a binding referendum is unconstitutional and cannot be held.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25353086|title=Spain to block Catalonia independence referendum|date=2013-12-12|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-01-29}}</ref> On October 1, 2017, the regional government held a referendum despite having been declared illegal by the Spanish courts. Subsequently, several leaders were arrested and imprisoned on charges of "sedition" and "rebellion". The regional president fled to Brussels, but has so far escaped extradition as those offenses are not part of Belgian law or the European Arrest Warrant.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20345071|title=Catalonia region profile|work=BBC News|date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> On December 21, 2017, fresh elections were held in which pro-independence parties held a slim majority and a broad coalition of constitutionalist parties expressed disappointment and concern for the future.

==United Kingdom==
{{main|Devolution in the United Kingdom}}
{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = Scottish Parliament, from Salisbury Crags.jpg
| caption1          = [[Scottish Parliament Building|Holyrood]] (Scottish Parliament)
| image2            = Senedd, Welsh parliament, Cardiff Bay.jpg
| caption2          = [[Senedd]] (Welsh Parliament)
| image3            = StormontGeneral.jpg
| caption3          = [[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Stormont]] (Northern Ireland Assembly)
| footer            = Various institutions established as part of the devolution of power in the UK
}}
In the [[United Kingdom]], devolved government was created for [[Northern Ireland]] in 1921 by the [[Government of Ireland Act 1920]], for [[Wales]] and [[Scotland]] in September 1997 following [[majority|simple majority]] [[referendum]]s, and in [[London]] in May 1998. Between 1998 and 1999, the [[Scottish Parliament]], [[Senedd]] (Welsh Parliament), [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] and [[London Assembly]] were established by law. The [[Campaign for an English Parliament]], which supports [[English devolution]] (i.e. the establishment of a separate English parliament or assembly) was formed in 1998.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

A referendum was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014 which asked citizens whether Scotland should be an independent country.<ref name="BBC 2013-03-21">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16478121|title=Salmond calls for independence referendum in 2014 |date=10 January 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=30 June 2014}}</ref> By a margin of approximately 55 percent to 45 percent, people living in Scotland rejected the proposal.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/events/scotland-decides|title = Scotland votes no to independence|date = September 19, 2014|access-date = September 19, 2014|website = BBC News – Scotland decides|publisher = BBC}}</ref> The leaders of the three largest British political parties pledged on 16 September 2014 a new devolution settlement for Scotland in the event of a No vote, promising to deliver "faster, safer and better change",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-cameron-miliband-and-clegg-sign-devolution-vow-but-scots-sceptical-9736090.html|title=Scottish independence: Cameron, Miliband and Clegg sign devolution|date=2014-09-16|newspaper=The Independent|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref> and as a result of this vote and promises made during the referendum campaign, British Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] announced plans to devolve additional powers to the Scottish government, the nature of which would be determined by the [[Smith Commission]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/19/scottish-referendum-david-cameron-devolution-revolution|title=Scottish Referendum David Cameron Devolution Revolution|access-date=19 September 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 September 2014}}</ref> These powers were subsequently transferred in the [[Scotland Act 2016]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/11/contents/enacted|title=Scotland Act 2016|publisher=legislation.gov.uk|date=2016|access-date=11 June 2016}}</ref> Following the outcome of the [[United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|Brexit]] vote on 23 June 2016, calls for further devolution have been raised,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36747715|title=Growing calls for federal UK in wake of Brexit vote|last=Taylor|first=Brian|date=2016-07-09|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref> including differential membership of the [[European single market]] for the devolved areas of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/20/nicola-sturgeon-make-scotlands-place-in-single-market-integral-to-talks|title=Nicola Sturgeon: make Scotland's place in single market 'integral' to talks|last=Brooks|first=Libby|date=2016-12-20|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref>

The [[Yorkshire Party]] is a [[Regionalism (politics)|regionalist]] political party in [[Yorkshire]], a [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[England]]. Founded in 2014, it campaigns for the establishment of a devolved Yorkshire Assembly within the UK, with powers over education, environment, transport and housing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://yorkshireparty.org.uk/devolution/|title=Devolution|publisher=Yorkshire Party|access-date=27 April 2019}}</ref> In the [[2021 West Yorkshire mayoral election]], the Yorkshire Party came 3rd.

==United States==
{{see also|State constitution (United States)|Home Rule in the United States|Municipal corporation}}

[[File:Forthallindancasiono2007.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Fort Hall Indian Casino, Idaho. Gambling is allowed within [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] reservation lands while illegal on non-reservation land geographically in the same state.]]

In the United States the federal government and state governments are sovereign. As Native American tribes and the governments they formed pre-date the formation of the United States, their legal position as sovereigns co-exists alongside the individual states and the Federal government. The legal relationships with [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes and their government structures are the jurisdiction of [[United States Congress|Congress]]. This relationship is unique to each of the more than 500 tribes and also involves International Treaties between various tribes and Spain, Great Britain, and the eventual United States.
Territories are under the direct jurisdiction of Congress. Territorial governments are thus devolved by acts of Congress. Political subdivisions of a state, such as a county or municipality, are a type of devolved government and are defined by individual state constitutions and laws.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

===District of Columbia===
{{Main|District of Columbia home rule}}
In the United States, the [[District of Columbia]] offers an illustration of devolved government. The District is separate from any state, and has its own elected government. In many ways, on a day-to-day basis, it operates much like another state, with its own laws, court system, Department of Motor Vehicles, public university, and so on. However, the governments of the 50 states are reserved a broad range of powers in the [[U.S. Constitution]], and most of their laws cannot be voided by any act of U.S. federal government. The District of Columbia, by contrast, is constitutionally under the sole control of the [[United States Congress]], which created the current District government by statute. Any law passed by the District legislature can be nullified by congressional action, and indeed the District government could be significantly altered or eliminated by a simple majority vote in Congress.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

==List of unitary states with devolution==
{{Main|Regional state}}{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! State !! Government type !! Subdivisions article !! Main regional units !! Other regional units
|-
|1995
|{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
|Presidential republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan]]
|10 autonomous regions, 66 rayons and 77 cities  
|Autonomous republic: [[Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic|Nakhchivan]]
|-
|2009
|{{flag|Bolivia}}
|Constitutional republic
|[[Departments of Bolivia]]
|9 departments
|
|-
|1980
|{{flag|Chile}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of Chile]]
|15 regions
|
|-
|1949
|{{flag|China}}
|Socialist republic
|[[Administrative divisions of China]]
|22 provinces (Taiwan is claimed as the 23rd province), 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities
|2 special administrative regions: 
* [[Hong Kong]]
* [[Macau]]
|-
|1991
|{{flag|Colombia}}
|Republic
|[[Departments of Colombia]]
|32 departments
|1 Capital District, [[Bogotá]], has the same autonomy and privileges as Colombian Departments.
|-
|1992
|{{flag|Czech Republic}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of the Czech Republic]]
|13 regions (''kraje'')
|1 Capital District, [[Prague]], has the same autonomy and privileges as Czech regions.
|-
|1849
|{{flag|Denmark}}
|Constitutional monarchy
|[[Regions of Denmark]]
|5 regions and 98 communes
|Two autonomous territories: 
*[[Greenland]]
*[[Faroe Islands]]
|-
|1919
|{{flag|Finland}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of Finland]]
|19 regions
|[[Åland]]
|-
|1982
|{{flag|France}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of France]]
|18 regions
|
|-
|1991
|{{flag|Georgia}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)|Administrative divisions of Georgia]]
|9 regions (one of them declared ''de facto'' independence: [[Abkhazia]] (1999)), 1 city, and 2 autonomous republics (one of them also declared ''de facto'' independence: South Ossetia (2006))
|Two regions
* [[Adjara]]
* South [[Ossetia]] (Tskhinvali region)
|-
|1975
|{{flag|Greece}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Greece]]
|13 regions
|[[Mount Athos]]
|-
|1950
|{{flag|Indonesia}}
|Republic
|[[Provinces of Indonesia]]
|38 provinces which 9 have special status
|Provinces with special status:
* [[Aceh]]
* [[Jakarta]]
* [[Special Region of Yogyakarta|Yogyakarta]] (''de jure'' a region, not a province)
* [[Central Papua]]
* [[Highland Papua]]
*[[Papua (province)|Papua]]
* [[South Papua]]
* [[Southwest Papua]]
* [[West Papua (province)|West Papua]]
|-
|1946
|{{flag|Italy}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of Italy]]
|20 regions, of which 5 have a special degree of autonomy
|Two autonomous provinces
|-
|1947
|{{flag|Japan}}
|Constitutional monarchy
|[[Prefectures of Japan]]
|47 prefectures
|
|-
|1964
|{{flag|Kenya}}
|Presidential republic
|[[Counties of Kenya]]
|47 counties based on 47 districts, with 47 elected governors, recognized by 2010 Constitution<ref>[http://www.ustawi.info.ke/index.php/devolution/47-counties-of-2010 Constitutions of Kenya] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909064744/http://www.ustawi.info.ke/index.php/devolution/47-counties-of-2010 |date=2018-09-09 }} website.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya/brief/kenyas-devolution |title=Kenya's Devolution |publisher=[[World Bank Group]] |access-date=5 January 2016}}</ref>
|
|-
|1991
|{{flag|Moldova}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Moldova]]
|32 districts and 3 municipalities
|Two provinces: 
* [[Gagauzia]]
* [[Transnistria]] (''de facto'' an [[independent state]])
|-
|1918
|{{flag|Monaco}}
|Constitutional monarchy
|[[Municipality of Monaco]]
|1 municipality
|
|-
|1989
|{{flag|Myanmar}}
| Constitutional Republic 
|[[Administrative divisions of Myanmar]]
|7 states and 7 divisions
|De facto autonomous state: [[Wa State]]
|-
|1954
|{{flag|Netherlands}}
|Constitutional monarchy
|[[Provinces of the Netherlands]]
|12 provinces and 3 [[Caribbean public bodies]]
|Minor constituent countries 
* [[Aruba]]
* [[Curaçao]]
* [[Sint Maarten]]  
|-
|1986
|{{flag|New Zealand}}
|Commonwealth realm
|[[Regions of New Zealand]]
|16 regions
|Two territories in free association: 
* [[Cook Islands]]
* [[Niue]] 
Two dependencies: 
*[[Tokelau]]
* [[Ross Dependency|Ross]]
|-
|1986
|{{flag|Nicaragua}}
|Republic
|[[Departments of Nicaragua]]
|15 departments
|Two autonomous regions: 
* [[Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte|North Atlantic]] 
* [[Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur|South Atlantic]]
|-
|1975
|{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
|Commonwealth realm
|[[Subdivisions of Papua New Guinea|Provinces of Papua New Guinea]]
|20 provinces
|1 capital territory: 
* [[National Capital District (Papua New Guinea)|National Capital District]] 
1 autonomous region: 
* [[Bougainville (autonomous region)|Bougainville]]
|-
|1993
|{{flag|Peru}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of Peru]]
|25 regions
|1 province at the first order: 
* [[Lima Province|Lima]]
|-
|1987
|{{flag|Philippines}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of the Philippines]]
|17 regions (including BARMM), 82 provinces, 144 cities, 1,491 municipalities, and 42,028 barangays
|[[Bangsamoro|Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao]]
|-
|1976
|{{flag|Portugal}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Portugal]]
|308 municipalities 
|2 [[Autonomous Regions of Portugal|Autonomous Regions]]: 
* [[Azores]]
* [[Madeira]]
|-
|2006
|{{flag|Serbia}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Serbia]]
|138 municipalities and 23 cities
|
* [[Vojvodina]]
* [[Kosovo and Metohija]] (Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo)
|-
|1978
|{{flag|Solomon Islands}}
|Commonwealth realm
|[[Provinces of the Solomon Islands]]
|9 provinces
|1 capital territory: 
* [[Honiara]]
|-
|1996
|{{flag|South Africa}}
|Republic
|[[Provinces of South Africa]]
|9 provinces
|
|-
|1948
|{{flag|South Korea}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of South Korea]]
|8 provinces and 6 cities
|One special city, one special self-governing city and one special self-governing province 
|-
|1978
|{{flag|Spain}}
|Constitutional monarchy
|[[Autonomous communities of Spain]]<br />([[nationalities and regions of Spain]])
|17 autonomous communities of which 2 have a special degree of [[Communities of chartered regime|tax raising autonomy]]
|2 autonomous cities: 
* [[Ceuta]]
* [[Melilla]]
|-
|1987
|{{flag|Sri Lanka}}
|Republic
|[[Provinces of Sri Lanka]]
|9 provinces
|-
|1992<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rkrattsbaser.gov.se/sfst?bet=1991:900 |title=Kommunallag (1991:900) |date=1 January 2015 |orig-date=13 June 1991 |department=[[Ministry of Finance (Sweden)]] |publisher=[[Government of Sweden]] |language=sv |trans-title=Municipal Law (1991:900) |access-date=7 November 2022}}</ref>
|{{flag|Sweden}}
|Constitutional monarchy
|[[Regions of Sweden]], [[Municipalities of Sweden]]
|21 regions and 290 municipalities<ref>{{cite web |url=https://skr.se/skr/tjanster/kommunerochregioner/regionerlista.1247.html |title=Regioner, lista |last=Kullander |first=Björn |date=9 June 2021 |publisher=Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions |language=sv |trans-title=Regions, list |access-date=7 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scb.se/contentassets/8387168daa8d4156a6ea1a88df8f3289/knalfab_20211229.pdf |title=Municipalities in alphabetical order 2022-01-01 |publisher=[[Statistics Sweden]] |date=1 January 2022 |access-date=7 November 2022}}</ref>
|
|-
|1950
|{{TWN}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Taiwan]]
|22 subdivisions
|
|-
|1992
|{{flag|Tajikistan}}
|Republic
|[[Provinces of Tajikistan]]
|2 provinces, 1 autonomous province (Gorno-Badakhshan) and a zone of direct central rule (Districts of Republican Subordination).
|1 autonomous city
|-
|1977
|{{flag|Tanzania}}
|Republic
|[[Regions of Tanzania]]
|30 regions
|[[Zanzibar]]
|-
|1976
|{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
|Republic
|[[Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago|Regions and municipalities {{nobr|of Trinidad and Tobago}}]]
|9 regions and 5 municipalities
|[[Tobago]]
|-
|1996
|{{flag|Ukraine}}
|Republic
|[[Administrative divisions of Ukraine]]
|24 oblasts (provinces) and one autonomous republic
|[[Crimea]]
|-
|1998{{refn|Northern Ireland.|Note}}<br />1999{{refn|Scotland and Wales.|Note}}
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|Commonwealth realm
|[[Countries of the United Kingdom]]<br />([[Home Nations]])
|4 constituent countries, of which 3 have devolved governments
|[[BOTs|Overseas territories]], [[Crown dependency|Crown dependencies]]
|-
|1991
|{{flag|Uzbekistan}}
|Republic
|[[Provinces of Uzbekistan]]
|9 provinces and one independent city
|[[Qaraqalpaqstan]]
|}

==See also==

* {{Annotated link |Decentralization}}
* {{Annotated link |Federalism}}
* {{Annotated link |Federalism in China}}
* {{Annotated link |Tiao-kuai}}
* {{Annotated link |Home rule}}
* {{Annotated link |Principle of conferral}}
* {{Annotated link |Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)}}
* {{Annotated link |Scotland Act 2012}}
* {{Annotated link |States and Territories of Australia}}
* {{Annotated link |Subsidiarity}}
* {{Annotated link |Territories of the United States}}
* {{Annotated link |West Lothian question}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060512141837/http://www.devolution.ac.uk/ Economic and Social Research Council Devolution and Constitutional Change research programme]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110305052550/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-12648649 http://www.bbc.co.uk An Article from the BBC describing the transfer of powers from the UK Parliament to the Welsh Assembly]

{{Autonomous types of first-tier administration}}

[[Category:Forms of government]]
[[Category:Political theories]]
[[Category:Decentralization]]