centralization n.

1795, "to bring to a center, draw to a central point;" 1800, "come to a center," from central + -ize, on model of French centraliser (1790). A word from the French Revolution, generally applied to the transferring of local administration to the central government. Related: Centralized; centralizing.

Government should have a central point throughout its whole periphery. The state of the monthly expences amounted to four hundred millions; but within these seven months, it is reduced to one hundred and eighty millions. Such is the effect of the centralization of government; and the more we centralize it, the more we shall find our expenses decrease. [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, "Discourse on the State of the Finances," 1793]

the end of some nouns of action; see -ate + -ion.

"act or principle of removing local or special functions of government from immediate control of central authority," 1839, from de- + centralization. Decentralisation is attested by 1835 in German, in reference to France, but the word does not seem to appear in French before the earliest English dates.