Devolution of authority to regional or local bodies is often described as strengthening democracy by moving decisions closer to the people it affects. Yet devolution imposed from above, without a genuine local demand or capacity to exercise the new authority meaningfully, frequently fails to achieve its stated aims and can even weaken accountability, since newly empowered but ill-prepared local bodies may struggle to deliver on the responsibilities transferred to them.

Which among the following is the most logical, rational and critical inference that can be made from the above passage?