Assimilation and Delegation: A Formal Model of Federal-Tribal Dynamics

Indigenous peoples have long been subjected to assimilation campaigns during democratic state-building, often in the name of easing administration, aligning Indigenous and central government preferences, and increasing delegation of policy authority to tribes. Yet, empirically, it is not clear that assimilation is associated with increased delegation, and delegation to tribes engaged in anti-assimilation and anticolonial efforts is increasing. I introduce a formal model of delegation as a function of Indigenous assimilation. Delegation leverages the specialized information tribes hold and, in the standard model, is more likely for tribes with policy preferences closer to the central government. However, introducing an assimilation campaign into the model that the tribe can accept or reject instead leads to tribes refusing to assimilate in order to incentivize delegation. This research underscores the nuanced strategies tribes employ to ensure self-determination and supports reevaluation of assimilation as a policy tool.