DECENTRALIZATION AND GOVERNANCE

Jean-Paul Faguet

STICERD - Economic Organisation and Public Policy Discussion Papers Series from Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE

Abstract: The most important theoretical argument concerning decentralization is that it can improve governance by making government more accountable and responsive to the governed. Improving governance is also central to the motivations of real-world reformers, who bear risks and costs in the interest of devolution. But the literature has mostly focused instead on policy-relevant outcomes, such as education and health services, public investment, and fiscal deficits. This paper examines how decentralization affects governance, in particular how it might increase political competition, improve public accountability, reduce political instability, and impose incentive-compatible limits on government power, but also threaten fiscal sustainability.

Keywords: decentralization; governance; local government; political competition; accountability; instability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-pbe and nep-pol
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Decentralization and Governance (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cep:stieop:027

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