Regional governments are subnational political bodies (states, republics, devolved assemblies) that exercise powers within a specific territory of a country. In AP Comp Gov, they're central to comparing federal states (Mexico, Nigeria, Russia) with unitary states (China, Iran, UK) and to explaining devolution.
Regional governments are the layer of government between the national capital and your local town hall. Think Nigeria's 36 states, Mexico's 31 states, Russia's republics and oblasts, or the UK's Scottish Parliament. Each one governs a specific chunk of territory inside the larger country, with powers that come either from the constitution (in federal systems) or from the central government's choice to hand power down (in unitary systems through devolution).
That source-of-power distinction is the whole game in AP Comp Gov. In federal states like Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia, the constitution itself divides power between national and regional levels, giving regions a degree of local autonomy over things like social and educational services. In unitary states like China, Iran, and the UK, power is concentrated at the national level, and any authority regional governments have is delegated and can theoretically be taken back. The UK's devolution to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland is the classic example of a unitary state creating regional governments without becoming federal. The CED also stresses that centralization can shift over time. Russia is constitutionally federal, but power has recentralized under Putin, which is why constitutional labels and actual practice don't always match.
Regional governments sit at the intersection of two Unit 1 topics. Topic 1.7 (LO 1.7.A) asks you to describe federal and unitary systems among course countries and explain why states adopt each. Federal systems confer local autonomy in supplying social and educational services while reserving powers for the national government; unitary systems offer more uniform policies and potentially more efficient policymaking. Topic 1.9 (LO 1.9.A) connects regional governments to legitimacy. Essential knowledge LEG-1.B.4 says devolution and delegation of power to regional governments is one way governments maintain legitimacy, because giving regions a voice (like the UK creating the Scottish Parliament in 1999) can defuse separatist pressure and make citizens feel the system responds to them. If you can explain WHO gives regional governments their power and WHY a state would share it, you've covered two learning objectives at once.
Keep studying AP Comparative Government Unit 1
Federal and Unitary Systems (Unit 1)
This is the home base. The question 'where do regional governments get their power?' is literally the federal/unitary distinction. Constitutionally guaranteed power means federal (Mexico, Nigeria, Russia); delegated-and-revocable power means unitary (China, Iran, UK).
Devolution and Legitimacy (Unit 1)
LEG-1.B.4 lists devolution to regional governments as a legitimacy tool. The UK handing powers to Scotland is a unitary state buying loyalty from a restless region. Practice questions tie this to subsidiarity, the idea that decisions should be made at the lowest level capable of handling them.
Autonomy (Unit 1)
Autonomy measures how much regional governments can actually do on their own. Russia shows the gap between paper and practice. Its regions are constitutionally federal but have lost real autonomy as power recentralized, a CED point about centralization changing over time.
National Unity (Unit 1)
States often create or empower regional governments to hold a diverse country together. Nigeria's federal system distributes power across ethnically and religiously distinct states precisely to manage internal cleavages and prevent fragmentation.
Regional governments show up directly on SAQs. The 2024 exam asked you to compare the division of power between national and regional governments in two course countries, and a 2018 SAQ stated that Nigeria and Russia both have constitutionally established federal systems and built questions from there. The move you must make is country-specific comparison, not just defining federalism. Name the country, name the regional level (Nigerian states, Russian republics, Scottish Parliament), and say what powers it holds or lacks. Multiple-choice questions test you on which course countries are federal versus unitary, how devolution supports legitimacy (including subsidiarity in the UK), and what internal or external pressures push a state to centralize or decentralize power. The trap answer is usually treating the UK's devolved governments as proof the UK is federal. It isn't.
Regional governments are the institutions; devolution is one way they get power. Devolution happens when a UNITARY state's central government chooses to delegate authority downward (the UK creating the Scottish Parliament), and that power can legally be reclaimed. In a federal system, regional governments hold constitutionally guaranteed power that the center can't simply revoke. So the UK has regional governments through devolution but remains unitary, while Nigeria's states hold power because the constitution says so.
Regional governments are subnational bodies that govern specific territories within a country, like Nigerian states, Russian republics, or the Scottish Parliament.
Among course countries, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia are federal (regional power is constitutional), while China, Iran, and the UK are unitary (regional power is delegated from the center).
Devolution to regional governments is a legitimacy strategy under LEG-1.B.4, because giving regions real authority can reduce separatist pressure and boost political efficacy.
The degree of centralization can change over time in both system types, which is why Russia is federal on paper but has recentralized power in practice.
Federal systems trade policy uniformity for local autonomy in services like education, while unitary systems trade local responsiveness for uniform, potentially more efficient policymaking.
On SAQs, always name the specific country and its regional level when comparing divisions of power, like the 2024 exam required.
They're subnational political bodies that govern specific territories within a country, such as Nigeria's 36 states, Mexico's states, Russia's republics, or the UK's devolved assemblies. The AP exam cares about where their power comes from: the constitution (federal) or delegation from the center (unitary).
No. The UK, China, and Iran all have regional governments but are unitary states, because the central government delegates that power and can take it back. A country is only federal when the constitution itself guarantees regional power, as in Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia.
Regional governments are the institutions themselves; devolution is the process by which a unitary state hands them power. The UK's Scottish Parliament exists because of devolution, but Westminster legally retains ultimate authority, which keeps the UK unitary.
Federal: Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia. Unitary: China, Iran, and the United Kingdom. Memorize this split because MCQs test it directly and SAQs (like 2024's question comparing national and regional power) build on it.
It helps sustain legitimacy (LEG-1.B.4) by making government feel responsive, managing ethnic or regional cleavages, and reducing separatist pressure. Nigeria uses federalism to hold a diverse population together, and the UK used devolution to address Scottish demands for self-rule.