Abstract

ORNELAS, Carlos. The Bases of Federalism and Educational Decentralization on Education. REDIE [online]. 2003, vol.5, n.1, pp.1-18. ISSN 1607-4041.

This essay uses Max Weber's ideal typology to define the conceptual bases of federalism and educational decentralization. There is a discussion of classical federalism, fictional federalism (corporatism), plus the origins and indigenous versions of the new federalism. The conclusion is that Mexican Constitutional federalism is baroque and ambiguous. Based on theory and national cases, there is a definition of the bureaucratic centralism and its main features. To make a contrast I developed a typology of educational decentralization. This takes into account its political, juridical and administrative definitions; there is a differentiation between delegation, deconcentration and decentralization. The basic argument of this paper is that through the signature of the Acuerdo de Modernización de la Educación Básica (Basic Agreement to Modernize Basic Education), the Mexican government pursued both: to increase its legitimacy and to gain control of the educational system.

Keywords : Federalism; decentralization; power.

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