I had a thought the other day in relation to how impossible it is for a large country to make everyone happy with broad policies. There are big differences in opinions, values, economics, and cultures across a population. What one city, county, province, etc prefers for policy seems to be universally be overridden by “higher level” governance levels going to the top if they so choose. Are there any countries where lower level, more specific jurisdictions get to set policy overrides instead of vice versa? Like, a place where nationwide laws are defaults, but smaller hierarchies can pass laws to supercede the higher defaults?
Hm… that kinda doesn’t seem too useful, no? What would even be the point of the higher government if you can just completely ignore them locally?
Defense, foreign relations, cross-jurisdiction crime, the usual things. But civil law and local criminal policy overridden locally, if voters desire?
I guess I’m thinking about a situation where let’s say one region wants to trade with some other country, and another doesn’t like that, then tough luck. Or same sex marriage, vehicle emissions rules, etc. That sort of thing. Seems like in places such as the US, voters from the other side of the country can override what your local citizens want if they get enough other external voters to side with them.
Maybe something like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation previously in the US?
So like NATO?
Interpol?
I could see it being used in situations where not all of the larger government’s territory was filled by smaller governments.