What is Devolution?
'''Devolution''' is when a central government [[wikt:transfer | transfers]] powers to a local government.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devolution | title=devolution | publisher=Merriam Webster | accessdate=24 December 2014}}</ref> It is sometimes called ''Home Rule'' or decentralisation. In the [[United Kingdom]], devolution is implemented in [[Wales]], [[Scotland]] and [[Northern Ireland]]. Each of these three countries now has an elected [[legislature]] which can pass some laws and a government to administer those laws and propose new ones. These bodies are called *The [[Welsh Parliament]] and [[Welsh Government]] *The [[Scottish Parliament]] and [[Scottish Government]]<ref>legally called the Scottish Executive but in 2007 the new Scottish National Party government decided to use the new name</ref> *The [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] and Northern Ireland Executive [[England]] does not have its own [[Parliament of England|parliament]], while there have been increasing calls today for one.{{fact|date=December 2020}} Devolved assemblies depend on the parent body. The British government could change its mind and abolish the devolved assemblies. This happened in 1972 to the government and parliament of Northern Ireland. It had been set up in 1920, with the parliament of [[Southern Ireland]]. This is different from a [[Federation|federal]] country. In a federal country like Germany the [[States of Germany|states]], and their powers, exist because of the [[constitution]], not because of the national [[parliament]]. ==Related pages== *[[Decentralization]] *[[Federal republic]] *[[Limited government]] == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Forms of government]]