I can't think of a single government that, peacefully and voluntarily reduced its powers by any substantial degree.
Here I do disagree.
LOL, does Scottish devolution count? The UK government has after all ceded them substantial powers of self-rule, excluding major fiscal policies and foreign/defence.
And, again, the UK only recently gave the Bank of England absolute power to set interest rates - it would need another Act of Parliament to change that. (This would be theoretically possible, but I can't see it ever getting past either the public or the markets, it's too popular with both.). And any withdrawal - or taking - of power by a government could theoretically later be revoked by a successor.
Alternatively, there's the ceding of various powers by most EU governments to the EU itself.
And many democratic countries have agreed to limit their powers to prevent extradition - i.e., to shelter those accused of 'crimes against humanity' - where requested by courts of another country, or supra-national courts such as the Hague.
But perhaps the best example is the massive relaxation of power/control over the individual throughout the former Warsaw Pact nations, and especially the ceding by the USSR of much former territory to new sovereign nations - which have then themselves allowed individuals more freedom. Certainly circumstances led to that - but it wasn't violent, and if not precisely chosen (as in desired) it was still voluntary. |
