The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise
Nation-states across the world are increasingly relinquishing powers to subnational tiers of government. This paper examines the drivers of this decentralisation revolution and the forces propelling it. While conventional wisdom has long attributed this phenomenon to the triumvirate of democracy, ec...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sciendo
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Quaestiones Geographicae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2024-0041 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841556606092836864 |
|---|---|
| author | Rodríguez-Pose Andrés |
| author_facet | Rodríguez-Pose Andrés |
| author_sort | Rodríguez-Pose Andrés |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nation-states across the world are increasingly relinquishing powers to subnational tiers of government. This paper examines the drivers of this decentralisation revolution and the forces propelling it. While conventional wisdom has long attributed this phenomenon to the triumvirate of democracy, economic efficiency, and regional identity, the contemporary dynamics presented in this paper demand a far more nuanced interpretation. Through the dual lenses of the efficiency-based decentralisation theorem and political economy analysis, I discuss how globalisation, technological upheaval, and innovations in governance have fundamentally reshaped the relationship between political centres and periphery within countries. The empirical evidence reveals decentralisation not as a linear progression but as an intricate interweaving of economic imperatives and political will. This complexity defies simple causation, suggesting instead that the dispersal of power responds to an elaborate choreography of classical and modern forces. The paper dwells on the subtle mechanics of governmental reorganisation, offering insights into the evolving architecture of multi-level governance while acknowledging the inherent challenges in isolating singular causes for these transformative trends. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ded9f1de6755417baad3ba690768f452 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2081-6383 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quaestiones Geographicae |
| spelling | doaj-art-ded9f1de6755417baad3ba690768f4522025-01-07T07:55:25ZengSciendoQuaestiones Geographicae2081-63832024-12-01434354810.14746/quageo-2024-0041The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries DecentraliseRodríguez-Pose Andrés0Department of Geography and Environment and Cañada Blanch Centre, London School of Economics, London, United KingdomNation-states across the world are increasingly relinquishing powers to subnational tiers of government. This paper examines the drivers of this decentralisation revolution and the forces propelling it. While conventional wisdom has long attributed this phenomenon to the triumvirate of democracy, economic efficiency, and regional identity, the contemporary dynamics presented in this paper demand a far more nuanced interpretation. Through the dual lenses of the efficiency-based decentralisation theorem and political economy analysis, I discuss how globalisation, technological upheaval, and innovations in governance have fundamentally reshaped the relationship between political centres and periphery within countries. The empirical evidence reveals decentralisation not as a linear progression but as an intricate interweaving of economic imperatives and political will. This complexity defies simple causation, suggesting instead that the dispersal of power responds to an elaborate choreography of classical and modern forces. The paper dwells on the subtle mechanics of governmental reorganisation, offering insights into the evolving architecture of multi-level governance while acknowledging the inherent challenges in isolating singular causes for these transformative trends.https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2024-0041decentralisationdemocracyeconomic efficiencyregional identityglobalisationpolitical economygovernance reformsmulti-level governance |
| spellingShingle | Rodríguez-Pose Andrés The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise Quaestiones Geographicae decentralisation democracy economic efficiency regional identity globalisation political economy governance reforms multi-level governance |
| title | The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise |
| title_full | The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise |
| title_fullStr | The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise |
| title_short | The Centrifugal State: In Search of an Explanation of Why Countries Decentralise |
| title_sort | centrifugal state in search of an explanation of why countries decentralise |
| topic | decentralisation democracy economic efficiency regional identity globalisation political economy governance reforms multi-level governance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2024-0041 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rodriguezposeandres thecentrifugalstateinsearchofanexplanationofwhycountriesdecentralise AT rodriguezposeandres centrifugalstateinsearchofanexplanationofwhycountriesdecentralise |