In French politics, the term decentralisation refers to a policy concept during the years 1968–1990, and is employed to describe the results of observations of the evolution of spatial economic and institutional organisation of France.

Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of redistributing or dispersing functions, powers, people or things away from a central location or authority. While centralization, especially in the governmental sphere, is widely studied and practiced, there is no common definition or understanding of decentralization. The meaning of decentralization may vary in part because of the different ways it is applied. Concepts of decentralization have been applied to group dynamics and management science in private businesses and organizations, political science, law and public administration, economics and technology.