The beginning years of the Third Republic marked the end of the pattern of recurring centralization that had plagued France for nearly a century. The pattern in the very first years of the Republic followed that of previous regimes: recentralizing legislation replaced the decentralizing legislation passed during the initial crisis period. But for once this was not the end of it. A prolonged period of crisis, characterized by constant shifts in policy, began in 1871 and continued through 1877. It was followed in 1884 by the organic law on municipal decentralization, which significantly increased the importance of the mayor by making him the choice of the popularly elected municipal council and the executive power in the commune. As a result of this law and the law of 1871 on departments formalizing the powers of the popularly elected general councils, the local governmental system was significantly decentralized. And although this system did not completely satisfy most legislators, it was to remain essentially intact during the rest of the Third Republic-to be replaced only for the brief interlude of the Vichy regime with a highly centralized system.

Legislators from the center-left to the extreme left during the beginning years of the Third Republic must take the credit for reversing the pattern of recurring centralization by putting into place a reasonably decentralized system of local government. The left, however, cannot therefore claim any greater principled attachment to local liberties than the right.