Home rule is the management of the affairs of a country, county, or city by its own residents. In the United States, the term home rule refers to the power of self-government that states give to their cities and counties. State legislatures, unless restricted by their state constitutions, have the right to exercise complete control over local governments. However, many states permit home rule in the belief that locally elected officials are much better qualified than state legislators to deal with local matters.
Since the late 1800’s, home rule has gained wide acceptance in the United States. Today, most U.S. states give cities and counties considerable control over local matters. The kind and extent of home rule varies from state to state. Most cities have the right to decide how their own government will be organized. Since the 1970’s, counties in many states have asked for a greater degree of home rule to accommodate growing urban populations. In addition, federal, state, and local governments are becoming more interdependent. As a result, citizens cannot always determine which level of government has responsibility for such matters as crime control, education, finance, transportation, and welfare. The courts decide most of these disputes.
The term home rule also refers to independence movements in countries that were once colonies of the United Kingdom. The Irish home rule movement began in the late 1800’s. The Republic of Ireland cut all ties with the United Kingdom. in 1949. In India, the home rule movement resulted in independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.
In the late 1900’s, home rule movements gained strength in Scotland and Wales, which are part of the United Kingdom. Most Scottish and Welsh supporters of home rule wanted increased control over local government, but not complete independence from the United Kingdom. The movements led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales in the late 1990’s.
