Decentralization and elite capture
- Variable relationship:
Decentralization is a process through which a central government authority transfers authority to lower level government authorities (Centralization), which are typically created by the central authority. This process is posited to lead to improvements under the conditions of natural resource commons, as well as in the ability of those commons to contribute to local livelihoods, by improving accountability and representation, as well as by improving the social-ecological fit. Nevertheless, decentralization often fails to achieve these goals, and sometimes even fails to transfer significant power to local governments
Several reasons have been identified for the failure of power to be transferred effectively. One such explanation is that many governments transfer responsibility to local authorities, who who may have strong loyalties to formal or informal power networks such as political parties or government agencies (Rights Granting Process), which result in "recentralizing" power or clientelistic relations (Agrawal & Ribot 1999; Ribot, Agrawal & Larson 2006). All these aspects can amount to rent seeking and resource conditions (Commons Condition Trend).
Additionally, "recentralization" may occur simultaneously with decentralization when decentralized bodies are transferred insufficient powers and/or when the decentralized bodies are designed so as to be loyal to the power of the central authority.
- Project
- SESMAD
- Sector(s)
- Scientific Field
- Component Type(s)
- Local Resource User Group, Group of Local Resource User Groups, Local Government
- Status
- Public
Variables
| Variable | Role | Role Explanation | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralization | Proximate independent variable | The process of decentralization to a lower level authority leads to less local empowerment than expected. | Highly decentralized |
| Social-ecological fit | Moderating independent variable | Failure of decentralization may lead to an incomplete fit between local systems | Low |
| Rights granting process | Moderating independent variable | When rights are granted based on political dynamics - particularly when decentralized bodies are created in ways that aim to grant power at the local level to local allies of central leaders - this can lead to decentralization failure - or effective recentralization. | Based on political dynamics (power) |
| Actor traditional knowledge | Moderating independent variable | The success of decentralization is moderated by the management knowledge of local user groups | Low |
| Commons condition trend | Final outcome | Due to lack of enough knowledge, elite capture of the process and/or cross-local group externalities, decentralization may lead to exacerbation of resource use rather than better management. | Worsened |
Related Theories
| Theory | Relationship | Characterizing Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) | contradictory | |
| Decentralization and leakage | related | |
| Social-ecological fit theory | contains | |
| Political decentralization and fit | contradictory | |
| Centralized conservation | related | |
| Decentralization and local capacity | related |