The Impact of Educational Decentralization on Citizens' Electoral and Territorial Preferences

This article aims to shed light on the correlation between the decentralization of education to sub-state units and citizens' inclination to advocate for increased decentralization, fostering a stronger regional identity, and supporting Non State-wide Parties (NSWPs). We propose to test a specific causal mechanism related to regional control over the academic curriculum, incentives to introduce self-justifying narratives, and their impact on citizens' electoral behavior, territorial preferences, and national identity. Focusing specifically on Spain and its autonomous communities, we conduct a cohort analysis using individual-level data, capitalizing on the staggered decentralization of education that occurred in the last two decades of the XX century, allowing us to conduct a natural experiment. We compare two groups of individuals: those exposed to a state-managed educative system and those exposed to a decentralized education system. Our research provides empirical evidence supporting the notion that transferring educational competencies increases pro-autonomy preferences, strengthens regional identity, and influences voting patterns towards NSWPs.