Subnational Authoritarianism: Territorial Strategies of Political Control in Democratic Regimes.

This paper explores dynamics of change and continuity in subnational (provincial) authoritarianism in nationally democratic regimes. Borrowing from theories of territorial politics, it provides a framework for analyzing the strategic context in which incumbent authoritarian elites and local and national opponents pursue strategies of territorial control and opposition. Subnational authoritarianism must be understood not as a local issue but as an outcome of broader dynamics of national territorial governance in democratic regimes. Conflicts between incumbents and opposition are played out across multiple territorial arenas in the national political system. In nationally democratic regimes, incumbent authoritarian elites will pursue three types of strategies across territorial arenas: the parochialization of power, the nationalization of influence, and the monopolization of national-subnational institutional linkages. Subnational democratization, when it occurs, will result from intervention by actors in national political arenas. To this end, a distinction is made between two ?modes? of subnational political change: ?party-led? transitions and ?center-led? transitions. The paper concludes with case studies of two recent conflicts over subnational democratization: the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, and the province of Santiago del Estero in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]