In political science and sociology, great controversies exist concerning the desirable balance between national and local power, the relevant factors in sub-national decision making, and the social consequences of centralization and decentralization. Regionalism and Regional Devolution in Comparative Perspective explores these controversies and the elements which give rise to them. Students of comparative politics, political sociology, Western European history, international affairs, or comparative social institutions can turn to this book for a balanced assessment of the alternative structures of decentralized political power which are emerging in various Western democracies.