Subsidiarity

Subsidiarity is a governmental organization by which legislative and executive decisions are made at the most local level possible. Subsidiarity can be by explicit federalism, where the central government is empowered to regulate certain matters, and all others are reserved to local government, or it can be through the exercise of preemption, where a local government simply enacts its own regulations, which supersede those of the central government.

Subsidiarity may be limited to executive powers, where a given regulation is authorized by national legislation, and local governments retain the right to enact local solutions in preference over national policy. The exercise of preemption may also be checked by Judicial oversight, where a locality would be held responsible for meeting the goals of the enabling legislation, and individuals would have the right to petition the courts to impose the more successful national policy.