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French to English translations [PRO] Social Sciences - Government / Politics / The role of metropolises
French term or phrase:gouvernements seniors
"Eriger la métropole en acteur politique, cela signifie transformer les relations entre cette métropole et l’Etat et aussi avec les autres acteurs politiques locaux, la ville-centre au premier chef, mais encore les autres collectivités territoriales, les communes mais aussi les « gouvernements seniors » en fonction du système institutionnel (Etat unitaire ou fédéral)."
Explanation: The logical choice is (literally) not so far reaching, I should say.
I would have to disagree with the presumption that this specifically refers to "federal" government, as "senior governments" can refer equally to the state, provincial, or federal governments depending on the point of reference.
They are "senior" with respect to "junior" governments.
Federal gov't is senior to state/provincial gov't (the respective junior gov't)
State gov't is senior to county gov't (the respective junior gov't)
County gov't is senior to city/municipal gov't (the respective junior gov't)
Other examples:
This article uses a rational choice framework to explain why senior governments responsible for municipal matters choose to reform or maintain their metropolitan governmental systems. Here senior governments are portrayed as a collection of vote-maximizing politicians seeking re-election (Downs, 1957; Huber and Shipan, 2000), endowed with unlimited constitutional authority to alter the form and
function of their municipal governments.
"... It is assumed that community forests are owned by the community. While this may be the case in the United States and other countries like Finland where the majority of forest lands are privately owned, it may not be practical in Canada where most forest land is publicly owned and controlled by senior governments."
Thank you for poiting this out. But, yes, it is metropolises. The text is an analysis of the positioning of metropolises compared to cities and countries, regions etc
but are you sure that 'métropole' here means metropolis and not 'la France métropoltaine' ie mainland France seen from overseas ?
Might help with understanding the rest of the sentence correctly.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
2 hrs confidence:
Federal governments
Explanation: as opposed to Provincial
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-06-05 14:14:08 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
"On se dit que cette décision du gouvernement fédéral – le gouvernement senior au Canada- constitue, à la fois, une sérieuse rebuffade pour le mouvement féministe et une leçon de gouvernance pour ces autres paliers de gouvernement qui ont troqué la recherche de l’intérêt commun pour l’électoralisme. On se serait donc attendu à ce que la Fédération des femmes du Québec, les centrales syndicales et les députés sociaux-démocrates fustigent immédiatement et en chœur le gouvernement Harper pour une décision qui vient démolir une de leurs principales constructions des dernières années."
On se dit que cette décision du gouvernement fédéral – le gouvernement senior au Canada- constitue, à la fois, une sérieuse rebuffade pour le mouvement ... www.hommedaujourdhui.ca/pas_de_loi_proactive_sur_l.htm - Cached
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-06-05 14:15:13 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
meant to say, as opposed to Provincial or Local government
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-06-05 14:17:52 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
another quote, again from a Canadian link
"Il en est souvent ainsi dans un régime fédéral. Le gouvernement senior lance un programme et les juniors n'ont qu'à suivre. À peu près tous les programmes sociaux du Canada ont d'ailleurs été créés sur ce modèle. C'est "l'effet domino", en quelque sorte. Il ne faut donc pas se laisser trop impressionner par les professions de foi sur les vertus de la collaboration avec les provinces. Le gouvernement fédéral reste le gouvernement fédéral et, quoi qu'on en dise, il a encore un grand pouvoir de dépenser."
Le gouvernement senior lance un programme et les juniors n'ont qu'à suivre. À peu près tous les programmes sociaux du Canada ont d'ailleurs été créés sur ce ...
archives.vigile.net/ds-actu/docs4/2-3.html - Cached
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-06-05 14:18:38 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Explanation: The logical choice is (literally) not so far reaching, I should say.
I would have to disagree with the presumption that this specifically refers to "federal" government, as "senior governments" can refer equally to the state, provincial, or federal governments depending on the point of reference.
They are "senior" with respect to "junior" governments.
Federal gov't is senior to state/provincial gov't (the respective junior gov't)
State gov't is senior to county gov't (the respective junior gov't)
County gov't is senior to city/municipal gov't (the respective junior gov't)
Other examples:
This article uses a rational choice framework to explain why senior governments responsible for municipal matters choose to reform or maintain their metropolitan governmental systems. Here senior governments are portrayed as a collection of vote-maximizing politicians seeking re-election (Downs, 1957; Huber and Shipan, 2000), endowed with unlimited constitutional authority to alter the form and
function of their municipal governments.
"... It is assumed that community forests are owned by the community. While this may be the case in the United States and other countries like Finland where the majority of forest lands are privately owned, it may not be practical in Canada where most forest land is publicly owned and controlled by senior governments."
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +3
