Regional Governance and Power in France: The Dynamics of Political Space (French Politics, Society and Culture)

In the shadow of a French national narrative which demonises and rejects local specificities, highly differentiated territorial political spaces have been created, shaped by the dynamics of identity, decentralisation, and public policy. This book analyses regions as loose and flexible political spaces, in which institutionalisation is far from being a one-way process. A variety of actors contribute to the upward, downward and horizontal dynamics which make up these spaces. Institutionalising regional space comprises three dimensions: institutionalisation as a result of cultural, social and political mobilisation; via the implementation of policies for territorial justice and decentralisation; and finally via the deployment of a system of regional governance. This analysis of regional power in France paints a picture of a controversial central state undergoing fundamental changes, and of a decentralised republic at a crossroads. It is essential reading for students and researchers working on issues of territorial governance and decentralisation in France and more widely in Europe Driven by such diverse advances as the Human Genome Project and the explosion of the World Wide Web, and also by the threat of human-inspired disasters such as global warming, the field of science and literature studies is currently undergoing an unprecedented expansion. The relations between science and literature have been and continue to be central to understanding Hispanic civilization and culture. In spite of this, Science, Literature, and Film in the Spanish-Speaking World is the first and only book to treat this new and dynamic field from an Hispanic perspective. This unique volume opens the door to an entirely new focus in the study of Hispanic literature and culture Front Matter....Pages i-vii Introduction: Regions and the Dynamics of Political Space....Pages 1-15 Front Matter....Pages 17-18 Regionalism and the Construction of Identity....Pages 19-38 Regionalism and Political Competition....Pages 39-58 Front Matter....Pages 59-60 Regionalisation and Policies of Territorial Justice....Pages 61-85 Regionalisation and Territorial State Reforms....Pages 86-119 Front Matter....Pages 121-122 Regions and European Governance....Pages 123-145 Regions and Territorial Governance....Pages 146-171 Conclusion: Regional Power and Territorial Differentiation....Pages 172-183 Back Matter....Pages 184-227