Finally, a keystone argument against hierarchies as a mode of governance holds that cities and regions are acquiring more effective autonomy at the expense of the state. To some extent, this process has been propelled by the state-driven decentralization which has taken place in most of the advanced democracies, such as France, the United States, the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands (Sharpe, 1988; Smith, 1986). In addition, in regions like Quebec in Canada and Catalonia in Spain, ethnic and cultural sentiments have played an instrumental role in driving demands for increased regional autonomy (Keating, 1996). The argument goes beyond this diffusion of political power, however, and asserts that subnational governments are becoming the most appropriate form of political organization in the ‘post-strong-state society’.