Home rule

home rule   n.  The principle or practice of self-government in the internal affairs of a dependent country or other political unit.

Main Entry: home rule
Function: noun
: self-government or limited autonomy in internal affairs by a dependent political unit (as a territory or municipality); also : the political theory or principle of self-government

home rule

limited autonomy or self-government granted by a central or regional government to its dependent political units. It has been a common feature of multinational empires or states-most notably, the ancient Roman Empire and the British Empire-which have afforded measured recognition of local ways and measured grants of self-government provided that the local populations should remain politically loyal to the central government. It has also been a feature of state and municipal government in the United States, where state constitutions since 1875 have frequently been amended or revamped to confer general or specifically enumerated self-governing powers on cities and towns and sometimes counties and townships

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