Relying on data from 31,740 electoral districts in the United States from 1830 until 2016, I explore how the effect of the nationalization of politics and the centralization of economic and political power occurs within districts. I argue that in the early stages of democracies local concerns are more prominent in distant districts from the capital city than in nearby districts, and therefore the former deviate more from the average local party system than the latter. The effect of nationalization and centralization within districts over time depends on whether parties are highly centralized or consist of relatively autonomous regional or local party organizations.