We argue that dynamics in asymmetrically decentralized countries are more diverse. In this paper, we study the historical developments of territorial asymmetry and the level of decentralization by applying sequential analysis. The sequential patterns reveal that catch-up dynamics can be observed in about 44% of asymmetrically decentralized democracies. A second cluster consists of those countries which increase asymmetry as well as the level of decentralization over time. The second cluster contains about 34% of the countries with asymmetric authority. In these cases identity-based regional demand for authority is more rapidly accommodated than the “equality demands” of the remaining regions.
We assess the historical trajectories of these two clusters by including structural and partisan variables. We find specific partisan constellations in the early stage of democratization to shape the countries’ development on the territorial dimension with regard to asymmetry and the level of authority. It is not the mobilization of regional identity alone but national governments’ approach to accommodating these demands in a way that either seeks a balance between “ordinary” and Rokkan regions or attempts to sustain the distinctiveness of the latter.
