Supranationalism
&
Devolution

Definition of Supranationalism
• Political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation among national states to promote shared objectives
• Give up political power to a higher authority in pursuit of common objectives
• political, economic, military, environmental

• Venture involving multiple national states (two or more, many, several) with a common goal

Acceptable Examples
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

EU
EEC
Common Market
Benelux
NAFTA
ASEAN
UN
NATO
Warsaw Pact
League of Nations
Arab League
Central American Common Market
SEATO
OAS
CARICOM
ACS

Not Acceptable
• U.S.S.R.
• East and West Germany
• United Kingdom

Changes in Europe due to
Supranationalism
• Larger market
• greater trade, free trade, reduced tariffs, greater economic prosperity

• Greater international influence

• greater political/economic power, greater ability to compete with economies of other countries

• Open borders

• labor, tourists, immigration

• Common currency
• Common policy

• resources, agriculture, economic, environment, trade, military
• loss of control over individual policy

• Loss of identity

• only with explanation in terms of political/economic situation

• War is less likely

Power of Place, “Supranationalism and
Devolution”
• Case Study One: “Strasbourg: Europe’s New Capital?”
• Strasbourg is a city on the Rhine River with historical ties to both France and Germany. It is currently French but retains much of German culture.
• During the last century Strasbourg has experienced five changes in nationality.
• Today the city stands poised to play a vital role in the emerging new economy of Europe because it lies in the center of a highly industrialized corridor that links cities between
London and Milan (the “blue banana”).
• Strasbourg also has well-developed rail and highway systems uniting the north of Europe with the Mediterranean and western Europe with the emerging states of eastern Europe.
• Strasbourg future prominence is uncertain and much depends on the success of eastern Europe in entering the capitalist economy. Strasbourg Area Map

German influence

European Parliament

Definition of Devolution
• Relinquishing of autonomy to internal units
• Process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government
• Breakup of a state (balkanization)

Acceptable Examples
• Breakup of a state, e.g., Yugoslavia/Balkans, former
U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Austria–
Hungary, British India
• Demand for greater autonomy (requires identification of internal units or groups), e.g., UK (Scotland, Wales,
Ireland, Northern Ireland), Belgium, Canada (Quebec,
Nunavut, native peoples),