Definition

Noun: 1. A political principle or system of governance in which power and decision-making authority are concentrated in a single central government or organization, rather than being distributed among regional or local bodies. This often involves the central authority controlling key administrative functions, planning, and policy for the entire state or organization.

Examples

• The country's constitution was reformed to move away from strict centralism and grant more autonomy to its provinces.
• Critics of the policy argued that such centralism stifled local innovation and ignored regional needs.
• Democratic centralism is a Leninist organizational principle where decisions are binding on all members after they are made by the central leadership.

Advanced Usage

• Democratic Centralism: A specific doctrine, primarily associated with communist parties, which combines internal party democracy (free discussion) with strict discipline and unity of action once a decision is made by the central committee. The "centralism" aspect emphasizes the absolute authority of the central leadership over the entire organization.
• Administrative Centralism: Refers to the concentration of bureaucratic and administrative control within a central government department, often leading to standardized procedures applied nationwide.

Variants and Related Words

• Centralist (adj): Relating to or advocating for centralism. (e.g., )
• Centralist (n): A person who supports centralism.
• Centralize (v): To bring under the control of a central authority. (e.g., )
• Centralization (n): The process of centralizing.
• Decentralism (n): The opposite principle, advocating for the dispersion of power away from a central authority.

Synonyms

• Concentration of power
• Unitarism (in political science, a state governed as a single entity)
• Statism (emphasis on state control, often overlapping with centralism)

Antonyms

• Decentralization
• Devolution
• Federalism
• Localism

Noun

1. the political policy of concentrating power in a central organization