More Administrative Units, Less Political Power? Decentralization's Hidden Backlash

Developing nations have seen a surge in administrative units recently. However, past studies fail to capture the crucial role of local actors amid this proliferation.

We reveal how these increases often stem from political-economic deals between national governments and marginalized citizens or elites.

Despite appearances mirroring decentralizing reforms, our analysis shows new administrative layers actually consolidate power by fragmenting governance structures—creating smaller units with less bargaining clout—and weakening overall administrative capacity. This paradoxical outcome underscores the limits of decentralization as a strategy for broader political change.

Data & Methods:

Original Uganda dataset

Key Findings:

• Proliferation driven by mutual interests between national executive and marginalized groups
• New local govts possess less intergovernmental bargaining power due to their reduced size
• Administrative capacity suffers in newly created units regardless of decentralization intentions
• Process reinforces central control despite formal decentralization goals