What is "localism"

Localism \Lo"cal*ism\, n.

1. The state or quality of being local; affection for a particular place.

2. A method of speaking or acting peculiar to a certain district; a local idiom or phrase.

"attachment to a particular locality," 1803, from local (adj.) + -ism. Meaning "something characteristic of a particular locality" is from 1823.

n. 1 (context countable linguistics English) a linguistic feature that is unique to a locality 2 (context uncountable English) Attachment to a particular local place; feelings or policies which emphasize local phenomena

1. n. a phrase or pronunciation that is peculiar to a particular locality

2. a partiality for some particular place [syn: sectionalism, provincialism]

Localism describes a range of political philosophies which prioritize the local. Generally, localism supports local production and consumption of goods, local control of government, and promotion of local history, local culture and local identity. Localism can be contrasted with regionalism and centralized government, with its opposite being found in the unitary state.

Localism can also refer to a systematic approach to organizing a national government so that local autonomy is retained rather than following the usual pattern of government and political power becoming centralized over time. This view of Localism is defined in the work Localism, A Philosophy of Government. This work is available in the third edition as an ebook, while an earlier hardcover edition, circulated underground without an ISBN, is rather rare.

On a conceptual level, there are important affinities between localism and deliberative democracy. This concerns mainly the democratic goal of engaging citizens in decisions that affect them.

Localism may refer to:

• Fiscal localism - ideology of keeping money in a local economy
• Localism (politics)
• Localism in Thailand - sustainability, moderation and broad-based development
• Conflict in surf culture between local residents and visitors for access to beaches with large waves
• The linguistic theory that all grammatical cases, including syntactic cases, are based on a local meaning.
• Localism in Hong Kong - a newly emerging political movement in Hong Kong, which strives for the autonomy of Hong Kong