devolution
dee-vuh-LOO-shun
/ˌdiː.vəˈluː.ʃən/
The statutory or constitutional delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level.
Implies formal legal delegation where the central authority ultimately retains constitutional supremacy and could theoretically revoke the powers.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'devolvere' (to roll down). In 17th-century English law, devolution described how titles or property rolled down to heirs upon death. By the 19th and 20th centuries, political scientists adopted the term to describe power rolling down from central capitals to regional parliaments.
Word relationships
- delegation: Delegation usually refers to assigning tasks or responsibilities, whereas devolution specifically means transferring legal legislative or executive power to regional assemblies.
- recentralization: Recentralization involves taking authority back from subnational entities into central hands.
Commonly confused with
- federalism: Under federalism, power is constitutionally guaranteed and shared; under devolution, power is granted by a central parliament that legally remains sovereign.
Word family
- devolve (verb): To pass or transfer power down to a lower level.
- devolutionary (adjective): Relating to or causing the transfer of power to subnational bodies.
Collocations
- statutory devolution
- devolution settlement
- devolution of powers
- asymmetric devolution
Example sentences
- "The Scotland Act 1998 established the legislative framework for devolution, granting the Scottish Parliament lawmaking powers over primary matters." Constitutional Politics (UK Constitutional Law Journal Review)
- "Advocates of devolution argue that regional parliaments respond far better to local economic priorities than distant capital bureaucrats." Public Administration
Memory hook
DEVOLUTION is political evolution rolling down (VOLV) to local hands. Power rolling downhill.
When not to use
Do not confuse with biological evolution or retrogressing; in political contexts, it strictly means transfer of governance authority.
Fun facts
- The United Kingdom's system of governance is often called 'asymmetric devolution' because Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each possess different levels of devolved authority.
Related words
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