subsidiarity

/ səbˌsɪdɪˈærɪtɪ /

noun

1. (in the Roman Catholic Church) a principle of social doctrine that all social bodies exist for the sake of the individual so that what individuals are able to do, society should not take over, and what small societies can do, larger societies should not take over
2. (in political systems) the principle of devolving decisions to the lowest practical level