Abstract
AbstractWhy are states in the developing world able to centralize policy regulation and implementation in some places inside their territory but not in others? I argue that uneven state capacity in periods of centralization is a function of the political resources that regional politicians have to resist the advancement of central institutions. These resources include cohesion against the center and independent popular support. I analyze the expansion of primary education after the Mexican Revolution in four subnational cases representing scenarios of regional resistance to institutional centralization and compare the framework to alternative explanations. The article contributes to evaluating the causes of “state weakness” in developing countries and understanding the politics of institutional choice under federal constitutions.
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