Abstract
Drawing on network theory from economic sociology, this article argues that development through state-society synergy requires the spread of information and resources between state and society. After describing key concepts and a nested methodological approach, the article analyzes how the different network structures affected the success of state decentralizing reforms in two former British colonies after World War II: Sierra Leone and Mauritius. It finds that the use of gatekeeping intermediaries in indirectly ruled Sierra Leone caused structural holes between state and society and that the reforms therefore increased the extent of decentralized despotism. Alternatively, direct colonial rule in Mauritius promoted dense ties between state and societal actors, and the colonial state reforms therefore made decentralized development possible.