Law, Territory and Integration: A View from the Atlantic Shore

Abstract

Globalization, which in one sense erodes territorial distinctiveness, in other ways enhances the importance of territory and gives impetus to the construction of territorial societies. 1 A bottom-up perspectiveThe subject matter of this study is so-called meso-government, by which is meant the intermediate or regional level of government between the central and local tiers of national administration. The focus is on the opportunities for, as well as the constraints on, official creativity in a contemporary era characterized by the broad currents of market liberalization and supranational modes of ordering. For the purpose of analysis reference will be made to the case of Wales, one of the four countries of the multinational state constituted by the United Kingdom.How to engage in this context with the deeply contested concept that is globalization? The definitions provided often contrast the 'global' with the 'national', for example seeing globalization as 'the intensification of economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders'. 2 In terms of comparative public administration such an approach is necessary and valuable, the increased permeability in so many ways of the nation-state being at the heart of the contemporary development. It is also, however, insufficient, and may in particular obscure the way in which integration into global economic arrangements may occur at substate level, including in diverse forms inside a single nation-state. 3 Then there is the idea of globalization as a large-scale, world-centred process that is separate from and hostile to smaller-scale processes that occur within the nation or region. 4 The opening quotation reminds us, however, of the interaction between the 'global' and the 'local' and, in particular, of the way in which a reemphasis on territoriality reflects the competing stresses and strains generated by a widened and deepened market economy. 5 There is more to this than the idea of a safe haven, whereby the individual and the community are (somehow) sheltered

How can subnational governments develop and deliver distinctive policy agendas?

“…As described earlier, for Wanna (2014), ‘circumstance’ is about how and with what success actors deploy rules, capacity and legitimacy to shape and deliver their policy agendas. Our case studies need to be seen in the context of the Welsh government’s acute awareness of the limits to its formal powers, capacity and popular support, which fuelled a strong desire to pursue distinctive ‘Welsh policies’ (Rawlings, 2001: 483). Between 1999 and 2010, the Labour-led Welsh government consistently sought to establish a distinctive ideological position from that of the ‘New Labour’ UK government.…”

Promoting Accountability in Multilevel Governance: A Network Approach

“…72 This is not to overlook the huge diversity among the 'regions' of Europe: see Rawlings (2001). 73 The IOI operates from a University of Alberta portal: http://www.law.ualberta.ca/centres/ioi.…”