ABSTRACT
Decentralization involves the delegation of power to lower levels in a territorial hierarchy, whether the hierarchy is one of governments within a state or offices within a large-scale organization. In the study of politics decentralization refers to the territorial distribution of power. In different regions of the world national governments are using decentralization as a strategy for coping with the political instability which is threatened by secessionist movements and demands for regional autonomy. The values of decentralization seem to have a wide appeal, regardless of ideology or political theory. Elements of the state apparatus which are common to all systems of decentralization are implicit in what has been said here. Federalism involves special techniques for managing a changing equilibrium between national and regional levels of government. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
