Policy-making extends across multiple governance layers. This article challenges traditional comparative studies that overlook subnational influence or assume methodological nationalism.

Core Argument:

National and regional governments jointly impact policy, but their effectiveness depends on the distribution of authority between them.

The Problem:

Political systems are multilevel. Yet, research often focuses solely on national levels. This narrow view ignores the reality that subnational actors can significantly shape policies in decentralized systems, while even in highly decentralized polities (like Canada), national governments retain considerable influence over regional policy-making.

Our Findings:

Analyzing 282 regions across 15 countries for 21 years shows a clear pattern: ideology combined with authority distribution dictates the interplay between national and subnational education policies.

Implications:

This suggests that understanding multilevel governance requires examining both levels. We outline how this insight transforms political science research, particularly in analyzing federal systems like Canada.