Defining Devolutionary Factors Chapter Notes | AP Human Geography - Grade 9 PDF Download

Introduction

This chapter notes examines devolution, the process of transferring power from central to regional or local governments, and its impact on state structures. It explores the factors driving devolution, such as political, economic, and cultural influences, and how these forces can lead to state fragmentation. The chapter also discusses autonomous regions, sub-nationalist movements, and the concept of Balkanization, highlighting their roles in reshaping political boundaries.

What is Devolution?

• Devolution refers to the delegation of authority from a central government to regional or local governments, enhancing their autonomy in decision-making. It serves as a mechanism to decentralize governance, allowing lower-level authorities to address local needs more effectively.
• Devolution manifests in various forms, with the scope of transferred powers differing by context. It may involve granting regional or local governments control over policy areas like education or healthcare, or it could include fiscal powers, such as the ability to collect and allocate revenue, or legislative authority over specific issues.
• Devolution is often implemented to accommodate regional or local differences, empowering those most affected by policies to have a greater say. It can alleviate the central government’s workload, enabling focus on national priorities. However, devolution can also create tensions due to varying policies and practices across regions.

What Affects Devolution?

Several factors shape the process and nature of devolution, influencing how power is distributed. 

Key factors include:

• Political context: The political environment, including the balance of power among government levels and the broader political climate, significantly affects devolution. Factors such as strong regional political parties, public support for devolution, and the central government’s willingness to share power play critical roles.
• Economic factors: Economic conditions, such as disparities in wealth or resources across regions, influence devolution. Wealthier regions with robust economies may push for greater autonomy to advance their economic interests.
• Historical and cultural factors: A region’s history and cultural identity impact devolution. Distinct regional identities, historical relationships with the central government, and the value placed on local traditions shape demands for self-governance.
• Legal and constitutional frameworks: The legal and constitutional structures of a country guide devolution. Federal systems often have established mechanisms for devolution, while unitary systems may require new laws or constitutional changes to facilitate it.
• International factors: Global influences, such as international organizations or regional actors, can affect devolution. For instance, the European Union encourages devolution among member states to foster regional integration and cooperation.

Forces that Lead to Devolution

• Physical geography can create isolation through natural barriers. For example, the Kashmir region, situated between India and Pakistan, is isolated by the Himalayan and Pir Panjal mountains, leading to some local autonomy due to the challenges of central governance. Other geographic features, like deserts or large bodies of water, can similarly drive devolution.
• Ethnic separatism occurs when minority groups seek independence. In Spain, the Basques and Catalans, with their distinct cultures and languages, strive for independence. The Spanish government has granted them greater autonomy to ease tensions, but independence movements persist, as highlighted in the Netflix documentary Two Catalonias.
• Terrorism involves organized violence for political aims. Al Qaeda, for instance, has conducted attacks in the United States, eastern Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula to advance its ideology. Ethnic separatist groups, like Spain’s Basque ETA, have used terrorism to pursue independence, escalating their cause through violence.
• Economic devolutionary forces arise when regions demand control over resources. In Brazil, Amazonian tribes seek greater ownership of local resources. Social issues, such as linguistic, cultural, or religious differences, can also prompt devolution. Belgium’s division into Flemish (north) and Walloon (south) regions may lead to the country splitting due to these differences.
• Irredentism involves annexing regions based on shared cultural or linguistic ties. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Armenia sought to incorporate Armenian-populated areas in Azerbaijan, eventually succeeding.

Fragmentation of States

Devolutionary pressures can lead to the fragmentation of states, breaking them into smaller, often conflicting units.

Autonomous Regions

• An autonomous region is an area with significant self-governance, capable of making decisions on local issues without central government interference. These regions are established to grant more control to local authorities and recognize regional differences.
• Autonomous regions vary in their powers, which may include legislative authority over education or healthcare, or the ability to manage revenue. In federal systems, autonomous regions are common, but they can also exist in unitary states with delegated self-governance.
• Examples of autonomous regions include:
  • Catalonia: An autonomous region in northeastern Spain with its own parliament, government, and language, managing education, healthcare, and cultural affairs.
  • Tibet: An autonomous region in China with significant self-governance, overseeing education, public health, and environmental protection, rooted in its unique cultural and religious identity.
  • Kurdistan: An autonomous region in northern Iraq with its own parliament, government, and military, responsible for education, healthcare, and economic development.
  • Quebec: An autonomous region in eastern Canada with its own parliament, government, and language, managing education, healthcare, and cultural affairs.
  • Northern Ireland: An autonomous region in the United Kingdom with a devolved government and assembly, handling education, healthcare, and economic development.

Sub-Nationalists

• Sub-nationalists are individuals or groups advocating for greater autonomy or self-determination for a specific region within a country. They may seek to enhance regional government powers, establish autonomous regions, or pursue full independence.
• Sub-nationalism is driven by factors like cultural or linguistic distinctions, economic disparities, or the desire to preserve local traditions. It may also stem from perceived injustices or discrimination, or a need for greater control over regional decisions.
• Sub-nationalism can spark conflicts with the central government, challenging national unity, but it also serves as a way to acknowledge a country’s diversity and empower local communities.
• Examples of sub-nationalist movements include:
  • Catalan independence movement: A movement in Catalonia, Spain, seeking independence to protect Catalan culture and language, and gain greater control over regional affairs.
  • Scottish independence movement: A movement in Scotland advocating for independence from the United Kingdom to preserve Scottish culture and traditions, and increase self-governance.
  • Quebec independence movement: A movement in Quebec, Canada, seeking independence to protect its French language and culture, and enhance regional control.
  • Basque independence movement: A movement in the Basque region of Spain and France seeking independence to preserve Basque language and culture, and achieve self-governance.
  • Flemish independence movement: A movement in Flanders, Belgium, seeking independence to protect Flemish culture and language, and gain greater regional control.

Balkanization

• Balkanization describes the division of a region or country into smaller, often antagonistic units, typically along ethnic, linguistic, or cultural lines. Named after the Balkans’ history of political instability, it reflects fragmentation driven by diverse identities or external influences.
• Balkanization can result from ethnic tensions, strong regional identities, or external actors. Political or economic issues, like corruption or inequality, can erode trust in the central government, fueling demands for autonomy or independence.
• Balkanization can lead to political instability, economic disruption, and conflict, weakening national identity. However, it can also be viewed as a means to respect regional diversity and empower local authorities.
• Examples of Balkanization include:
  • Yugoslavia: The 1990s breakup of Yugoslavia into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia was driven by ethnic tensions and external influences.
  • Sudan: The 2011 split of Sudan, creating South Sudan, resulted from ethnic tensions and distrust in the central government, reflecting regional cultural and linguistic differences.
  • Iraq: Ongoing conflicts, including the rise of the Islamic State, stem from ethnic and regional tensions, contributing to state fragmentation and competing power centers.
  • Syria: The Syrian conflict reflects Balkanization, with ethnic and regional tensions leading to fragmented authority and competing power centers.
  • Ukraine: The conflict in Ukraine, including Russia’s annexation of Crimea, illustrates Balkanization driven by ethnic and regional tensions, creating competing power centers.

Yugoslavia, led by Tito post-World War II, was a non-aligned communist state with diverse ethnic groups, including Serbs, Bosniaks, Croats, Albanians, and Macedonians, divided by Christianity and Islam. After Tito’s death in 1980, a power vacuum led to unrest. Slobodan Milošević’s rise in 1987 fueled ethnic violence, resulting in thousands of deaths. By 1997, Yugoslavia fragmented into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Key Terms

• Al Qaeda: Al Qaeda is a militant Islamist group founded by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s, notorious for global terrorist attacks, including the 2001 September 11 attacks. It seeks to destabilize governments and influence local power dynamics, contributing to devolutionary pressures.
• Armenians in Azerbaijan: This term refers to the ethnic Armenian population in Azerbaijan, particularly in Nagorno-Karabakh, where historical and territorial disputes have fueled conflicts and demands for autonomy, reflecting devolutionary dynamics.
• Autonomous Regions: Autonomous regions are areas within a state with significant self-governance, managing local affairs like education and healthcare, often established to accommodate ethnic or cultural identities.
• Basque Independence Movement: This movement seeks an independent Basque state in Spain and France, driven by cultural preservation and historical grievances against perceived oppression.
• Balkanization: Balkanization is the fragmentation of a state into smaller, often hostile units due to ethnic, cultural, or religious differences, leading to instability and conflict.
• Basques & Catalans: These ethnic groups in Spain, with distinct languages and cultures, advocate for greater autonomy or independence, highlighting devolutionary pressures and regional nationalism.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia: These nations emerged from the 1990s breakup of Yugoslavia, driven by ethnic tensions and nationalist movements, exemplifying devolution and state fragmentation.
• Catalan Independence Movement: This movement in Catalonia, Spain, seeks independence to protect its culture and language, reflecting devolutionary pressures and challenges to state sovereignty.
• Catalonia: An autonomous region in Spain with a distinct language and culture, Catalonia’s push for independence highlights devolutionary dynamics and internal boundary issues.
• Communist State: A communist state is governed by a single party aiming to establish a classless society, controlling the economy and limiting political freedoms, often centralizing authority.
• Devolution: Devolution is the transfer of power from a central government to regional or local authorities, enhancing local autonomy in response to cultural, political, or economic demands.
• Economic Devolutionary Forces: These forces drive regions to seek autonomy based on economic disparities or resource control, reflecting tensions between local and national priorities.
• Economic Factors: Economic factors, including wealth distribution and resources, shape societal decisions, influencing political structures, migration, and devolutionary movements.
• ETA: ETA, or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, is a Basque separatist group founded in 1959, using violence to pursue independence from Spain and France, driven by cultural preservation.
• Ethnic Separatism: Ethnic separatism is the push by ethnic groups for autonomy or independence, often due to marginalization or cultural differences, leading to state tensions.
• Flemish Independence Movement: This movement in Flanders, Belgium, seeks autonomy or independence, driven by linguistic and economic differences with the Walloon region.
• Fragmentation of States: Fragmentation is the division of a state into smaller units, often due to ethnic, economic, or regional pressures, challenging centralized authority.
• Historical and Cultural Factors: These factors, rooted in a region’s past and traditions, influence political landscapes, national unity, and devolutionary pressures.
• International Factors: Global influences, such as international organizations, shape devolution by encouraging regional autonomy or cooperation, affecting state governance.
• Iraq: Iraq, a diverse country in Western Asia, faces devolutionary pressures from ethnic and regional tensions, contributing to internal conflicts and fragmentation.
• Irredentism: Irredentism is the nationalist push to reclaim culturally or historically linked territories, influencing boundaries and devolutionary movements.
• Kurdistan: A geo-cultural region across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, Kurdistan’s Kurdish population seeks autonomy, highlighting devolutionary and sovereignty issues.
• Legal and Constitutional Frameworks: These frameworks of laws and principles guide governance, defining power distribution and enabling devolution processes.
• Non-Aligned Movement: Founded in 1961, this movement of states avoided alignment with Cold War superpowers, promoting independence and sovereignty.
• Northern Ireland: A UK region with a history of ethnic and religious conflict, Northern Ireland’s devolution reflects tensions between nationalist and unionist communities.
• Physical Geography: Physical geography, including landforms and ecosystems, influences human activities, resource distribution, and devolutionary pressures.
• Political Context: The political environment, shaped by power dynamics and historical events, influences devolution and state stability.
• Quebec: A Canadian province with a distinct French-speaking identity, Quebec’s push for autonomy reflects devolutionary pressures and cultural preservation.
• Quebec Independence Movement: This movement seeks Quebec’s independence from Canada, driven by its French culture and history, highlighting devolutionary dynamics.
• Scottish Independence Movement: This movement seeks Scotland’s independence from the UK, fueled by cultural identity and demands for self-governance.
• Slobodan Milošević: A Serbian leader in the 1990s, Milošević’s nationalist policies fueled ethnic conflicts, contributing to Yugoslavia’s fragmentation.
• Social Issues: Social issues, like inequality or discrimination, affect communities, influencing cohesion and contributing to devolutionary pressures.
• Soviet Union: A socialist state from 1922 to 1991, the Soviet Union’s collapse influenced devolutionary trends and ethnic conflicts in its former territories.
• Sub-Nationalists: Sub-nationalists advocate for regional autonomy or independence, driven by cultural or economic factors, challenging national unity.
• Sudan: A North-East African country, Sudan’s ethnic tensions and civil conflicts led to its 2011 split, creating South Sudan and reflecting devolutionary forces.
• Syria: A Middle Eastern country facing ethnic and sectarian conflicts, Syria’s fragmentation illustrates devolutionary pressures and competing power centers.
• Terrorism: Terrorism uses violence for political goals, often fueling devolution by disrupting societies and encouraging separatist movements.
• Tito: Josip Broz Tito led Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1980, managing ethnic diversity through socialism, with his death sparking devolutionary conflicts.
• Tibet: A Central Asian region with a distinct Buddhist identity, Tibet’s autonomy struggles highlight devolutionary tensions with China.
• Ukraine: An Eastern European country facing ethnic and regional tensions, Ukraine’s conflicts, including Crimea’s annexation, reflect devolutionary pressures.
• Yugoslavia: A former multi-ethnic state in Southeast Europe, Yugoslavia’s 1990s breakup into multiple nations illustrates devolution and ethnic fragmentation.