Home rule facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Home rule is when a country, region, or city gets to govern itself, but it's still part of a bigger country or state. It means they have the power to make many of their own laws and decisions. This power is given to them by the main central government.

For example, in the British Isles, "home rule" often meant self-government for places like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. In the United States, it usually refers to cities or counties managing their own local affairs. It's also how Greenland and the Faroe Islands are connected to Denmark.

Home rule is different from being a completely separate country or a federal system (like the US or Canada). In a federal system, the different states or provinces have powers that are protected by the country's main rules (its constitution). With home rule, the central government can change or even take away these powers if it passes new laws.

A main government can give home rule to a smaller area, like a county or city. This allows local councils or boards to make decisions for their area, such as rules about building. Without home rule, these local areas would just be direct parts of the main government, with less power.

Home Rule in Denmark
- Faroe Islands
- Greenland
Home Rule in Ireland
Home Rule in India
Home Rule in the United Kingdom
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
Home Rule in the United States
See also

Home Rule in Denmark

Denmark is a country that has given home rule to two of its regions.

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are a self-governing country within the Danish Realm. This means they manage most of their own affairs. They were granted home rule by the Danish Parliament in 1948. This happened after the Faroese people tried to become fully independent. They received even more freedom to govern themselves in 2005. The King or Queen of Denmark is still the head of state for the Faroe Islands. Even though Denmark is part of the European Union, the Faroe Islands are not.

Greenland

Greenland is another self-governing country within the Danish Realm. In 1979, after people in Greenland voted for more control, the Danish Parliament gave them home rule. They gained even more self-governance in 2009, following another vote. Like the Faroe Islands, Denmark's monarch is Greenland's head of state. Greenland is also not part of the European Union, even though Denmark is.

Home Rule in Ireland

The idea of Irish home rule was a very important political issue in Britain and Ireland in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

From the late 1800s, Irish leaders pushed for home rule. They wanted an Irish parliament to be created within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This was different from earlier demands for "Repeal." Repeal meant completely undoing the 1801 Act of Union, which had joined Ireland and Great Britain. It would have made Ireland a fully independent country. Home rule, however, meant Ireland would be an area with its own parliament, but still under the main authority of the British Parliament in Westminster. It was more like the self-governance seen in Canada or New Zealand at the time.

Several laws about Irish Home Rule were introduced:

1886: The First Irish Home Rule Bill was voted down in the British Parliament.
1893: The Second Irish Home Rule Bill passed in the House of Commons but was rejected by the House of Lords.
1914: The Third Irish Home Rule Bill was passed into law. However, its start was delayed because of World War I. After the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916, the situation changed.
1920: The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was put into action. It created parliaments for Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Southern Ireland soon became the Irish Free State, which was an independent country. Northern Ireland kept its own Home Rule Parliament until 1972. Today, Northern Ireland has the Northern Ireland Assembly, which was created in 1998.

Some important British politicians, like Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, strongly opposed Home Rule. They even left their political party to form a new one, the Liberal Unionist Party, to fight against it. They used anti-Catholic feelings to gain support, with a slogan like "Home rule means Rome rule."

Home Rule in India

In 1916, several Indian nationalist leaders, led by Annie Besant, formed a movement. They demanded self-government for India. They wanted India to have the same status as other self-governing parts of the British Empire, like Australia and Canada. These were called "dominions."

The Indian Home Rule movement was popular for a while. However, its activities slowed down when Mohandas Gandhi became a major leader. Gandhi promoted a different way of fighting for freedom: non-violent civil disobedience. His goal was complete independence for India. When India finally gained independence in 1947, it became the Dominion of India. Three years later, India adopted its own permanent constitution and became a republic.

Home Rule in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the term "home rule" has largely been replaced by "devolution." Devolution is when the central government gives specific powers to regions, states, or provinces.

England

Discussions about English home rule have come up, especially after the 2014 vote on Scottish independence. This is sometimes linked to the "West Lothian question," which asks if Scottish Members of Parliament should be able to vote on laws that only affect England.

Scotland

Like Ireland, people in Scotland have historically wanted more self-governance within the United Kingdom. The home rule movement in Scotland led to the creation of the current devolved Scottish Parliament.

Scotland gained some administrative control in 1885 with the creation of the Scottish Office. In the mid-1900s, the home rule movement grew. Between 1947 and 1950, a petition called the Scottish Covenant asked for a Scottish legislature within the UK and received over two million signatures.

In 1979, a vote was held on devolution for Scotland. Even though 51.6% voted in favor, the plan didn't go through. This was because the law required 40% of all eligible voters to say "Yes," and this wasn't met. In 1999, after a successful second vote, the Scottish Parliament was finally created.

Wales

The movement for Welsh devolution also sought greater self-governance for Wales within the United Kingdom. This led to the creation of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in 1999.

Home Rule in the United States

Local Government

In the United States, some states give home rule to their cities, counties, and towns. These are called "home rule states." In these states, local governments can pass their own laws and rules to manage their areas. They must still follow the state and federal constitutions. In other states, local governments only have the powers that the state government specifically gives them. A city's "charter," which is like its own constitution, sets the limits of its powers.

District of Columbia

The U.S. Constitution gives the United States Congress full control over the capital city, the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.). This means D.C. is not a state and not part of a state. Since 1973, Congress has allowed D.C. to be governed mainly by local elected officials. However, Congress still oversees this local government. In theory, Congress could take away these local powers at any time.

Native American Reservations

The U.S. federal government gives some self-rule to federally recognized Native American tribes over their lands on reservations. Tribal lands are seen as "dependent domestic nations." They have their own systems of government and law, separate from the state where the reservation is located. This often includes their own police forces. For example, some tribes can run gambling businesses that might be illegal in the surrounding state. Reservations are not states and do not have direct representation in Congress. However, tribal citizens vote as citizens of the state they live in. Unlike the powers of state governments, tribal sovereignty and land ownership are not directly protected by the Constitution. They are granted by acts of Congress, which can be changed or removed at any time.