The Growing Power and Influence of States and Provinces
Throughout our history, the power of states and provinces within countries has risen and fallen according to the level of power exercised by national governments. Sometimes, national governments, willingly or not, ceded a great deal of authority in terms of economic, political or social policymaking to state or provincial governments. Other times, national governments had their ability to control their internal subjects weakened by any number of factors related to security, internal divisions or economic well-being. Today, with national governments around the world having lost a great deal of support among their citizens, state and provincial governments are eyeing an opportunity to assert more authority over their territory. If power is devolved to state or provincial governments, there is the possibility that this will foster healthy competition among the various states or provinces that make up a country. On the other hand, in countries with deep ethnic, religious or political divisions, a devolution of powers could lead to a collapse of central authority in that country, leading to either a dissolution of that country or even an internal conflict.
In the modern world, North America is the best example of how states and provinces can wield enough power that they are able to compete with one another, providing tangible economic benefits for the country as a whole. The United States, which was founded as an alliance of 13 states, is home to a wider variety of states than almost any other developed country in the world. For example, California is, by many measures, the most powerful state or province in the world, and is the center of many of the world’s high-tech industries. Texas is another extremely powerful and influential US state, but its economy and social structure is vastly different from that of California. Likewise, the southeastern states of the United States are a block of states that are socially and economically much different than their counterparts to the north or the west, but which have gained considerable political and economic power in recent decades. The situation is similar in Canada, where the differences among its ten provinces (and three territories) are vast, highlighted by the massive economic and social differences between, for example, Alberta (and its oil) in the west, and Quebec (with Canada’s only French-speaking majority) in the east. In both the US and Canada, these internal divisions have helped states and provinces to become powerful political and economic forces in their own right, but have also exposed deep political and social divisions within each country.
In some parts of Europe, states, provinces and other smaller entities once held a great deal of power and influence, particularly in places such as Germany and Italy, where centralized power developed relatively late in their histories. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the last bastions of state and provincial power were wiped out as the centralization of power in Europe intensified. However, with individual countries handing over significant power to a supranational entity (the European Union), states, provinces and even cities are finding themselves gaining more power vis-à-vis their national governments. A good example of this is in the United Kingdom, where London’s power and influence has risen dramatically in recent decades (although not enough to prevent Brexit). Likewise, German states have used the post-war decentralization of power in Germany to compete with one another for trade and investment, something that has played a vital role in the relative strength of the German economy in recent decades. Elsewhere in Europe, deeply divided countries such as Spain or Belgium face increasing calls for a greater level of devolution from states and provinces where pro-independence movements are growing stronger. With Europe’s political future uncertain, more states and provinces in the region may make a move to grab more power over their internal affairs, creating a situation where Europe’s is pulled in two opposite political directions, one calling for regional unity and the other demanding a greater decentralization of power.
In Asia, state and provincial power varies greatly from country to country, but the sheer scale of some states and provinces in this region suggest that they could exercise a great deal of power in the future. These Asian states and provinces could look to Japan, where Tokyo and its neighboring prefectures hold vast influence in that country thanks to the fact that they are the home to one-third of Japan’s population and more than 40% of its economic output. In China, where the central government exerts great authority over the country, the huge populations and levels of economic output of many of its provinces suggest that they will one day exercise a greater degree of power. Already, seven Chinese provinces have populations greater than either Britain or France, with economies that are growing at a much faster pace than those countries. In India, many of that country’s 29 states already exert significant power and influence, as that country remains one of the most decentralized in Asia. At present, three Indian states are home to more than 100 million people, with Uttar Pradesh (200 million inhabitants) having a population greater than that of all but five countries. In some countries, these powerful states and provinces could threaten to lead to deep internal divisions, such as in a country like India with its array of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. However, these states could also foster positive competition that leads to rapid economic development that can raise the living standards of vast numbers of people across the region.
Modern systems of travel and communication were expected to shrink the world and reduce the threats posed by nationalism, regionalism and localism. However, as we have seen repeatedly in recent years, these technological advancements have, in many cases, fostered a rise in regionalism and have deeply divided many countries along state and provincial lines. In some cases, national governments have fought back by attempting to control travel and communications in order to enhance their power, a development that has taken place in a number of important countries in recent years. However, in some cases, this growing regionalism is leading to deeper divisions within many countries. If this develops in a negative way, the potential for internal conflicts or the total collapse of centralized power in many countries is a significant possibility. On the other hand, healthy competition among states and provinces has led mankind to many of its greatest achievements. Therefore, central governments must find the right balance between promoting competition among their states and provinces, without leading to an irreparable collapse of centralized control.