Eric wrote:
> Is there a website that compares various ways that
nations split power between the federal governments
and a state/province/Land/canton/oblast/etc.? what country
has the weakest federal government? the strongest? How do
these get ranked from most autonomy to least? Vermont, Nova Scotia,
North Rhineland-Westphalia, New South Wales, Chihuahua, Brittany,
Emilia-Romagna, County Cork, Zurich.
I can't comment on all of these, but I can say that the Swiss
cantons are probably the most autonomous, followed by the Australian
states. The American states are theoretically more autonomous than
the Canadian provinces (except for the Canadian privilege of "opting out" of
federally-guaranteed rights for five years at a time). The Mexican states
are significantly less autonomous still, but their autonomy has been
growing during the last decade or so.
> As for reorganizing our states, I don't really see
this happening anytime soon. I have heard something about perhaps North
Dakota and South Dakota uniting...
North Dakota had considered changing its name to
"Dakota," but I don't think the two Dakotas have ever considered
merger.
Lowell G. McManus
Leesville, Louisiana, USA