Devolution, the transfer of power from a central government to subnational (e.g., state, regional, or local) authorities.

Devolution usually occurs through conventional statutes rather than through a change in a countrys constitution; thus, unitary systems of government that have devolved powers in this manner are still considered unitary rather than federal systems, because the powers of the subnational authorities can be withdrawn by the central government at any time (comparefederalism). Throughout history, there has been a tendency for governments to centralize power. During the late 20th century, however, groups in both federal and unitary systems increasingly sought to reduce the power of central governments by devolving power to local or regional governments. For example, supporters of states rights in the United States favoured diffusing power away from Washington, D.C., toward state and local governments. This trend was also experienced throughout the world, though perhaps the two most notable instances of devolution occurred in France in the 1980s and the United Kingdom in the late 1990s. Prior to the 1980s France was one of the most centralized states in the world. The national government in Paris had to give prior approval for all major decisions made by the rgions,dpartements, and communes, ranging from their annual budget to the names of new schools or streets. As the size and responsibilities of subnational governments grew, however, most mayors objected to the centralization of power, known as the tutelle (supervision). To somewhat reduce the scope of power exercised by the central government, the socialist government of Pres. Franois Mitterrand (198195), through one of its first major pieces of legislation, dramatically expanded the authority of the three layers of subnational government and removed the tutelle from almost all aspects of policy making. Devolution is viewed in many countries as a way to dampen regional, racial, ethnic, or religious cleavages, particularly in multiethnic societies, such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Devolution has also occurred in Finland, where the government has granted significant autonomy to the largely Swedish-speaking population of the land Islands; in Spain, where regional governments (particularly theBasque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, and Andalusia) have enjoyed extensive powers; and in Italy, where several regions have been granted special autonomy by the central government.