Governs, yet somehow keeps current autonomy (11)
I believe the answer is:
sovereignty
'autonomy' is the definition.
(I know that sovereignty is a type of self-determination)
'governs yet somehow keeps current' is the wordplay.
'somehow' indicates an anagram.
'keeps' is an insertion indicator.
'current' becomes 'I' (symbol for electric current).
'governs'+'yet'='governsyet'
'governsyet' with letters rearranged gives 'soveregnty'.
'soveregnty' enclosing 'i' is 'SOVEREIGNTY'.
(Other definitions for sovereignty that I've seen before include "Self-government" , "Pre-eminence" , "it rules!" .)