The Promise and Perils of Devolution: Federalism, Regional Autonomy, and Ethnic Conflict (Oxford Studies in Democratization)

A large literature describes the benefits of federalism and regional autonomy for fostering peace and democracy in countries experiencing conflict among ethnic groups.Political leaders are often reticent about devolution, because they fear empowering political opponents or discontented groups that chafe under centralized rule.Yet, adopted early and generously in a conflict sequence, devolution has the potential to moderate it.In heterogeneous units (states in a federation, autonomous regions elsewhere), however, devolution often has an array of unanticipated dysfunctions, the most profound of which are conflicts among groups contending to control a unit and contested claims of priority based on indigenousness, some of them fostered by central governments or constitutional provisions. The book consists of three parts. The first depicts the arguments for, and benefits anticipated from, devolving power to subordinate units.The second part provides an evidence-based critique of the fears a