Localization Archives – Decentralization Net

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[ April 24, 2026 ] India’s fiscal equalization system: balancing equity and efficiency Asia
[ April 19, 2026 ] Does federalism strengthen democratic participation? Decentralization
[ April 10, 2026 ] Decentralized responsibilities without decentralized resources? Decentralization
[ April 10, 2026 ] Expanding property taxation in customary areas in Africa Africa
[ April 7, 2026 ] Decentralization under pressure: lessons from Germany’s long-term support in Africa Africa

India’s fiscal equalization system: balancing equity and efficiency

April 24, 2026 LPS Alliance

Few countries embody the promise—and complexity—of multilevel governance as vividly as India. With a federal structure spanning more than 1.5 billion people, India’s intergovernmental fiscal system sits at the heart of its development trajectory. A […]

Does federalism strengthen democratic participation?

April 19, 2026 LPS Alliance

A longstanding assumption in the study of decentralization and multilevel governance is that federal systems are inherently more democratic. The logic is intuitive: by constitutionally dividing power and creating multiple arenas for representation and decision-making, […]

Expanding property taxation in customary areas in Africa

April 10, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

Property taxation is widely recognized as a cornerstone of subnational finance and a key enabler of effective decentralization worldwide. It has recently gained increased attention across African countries. Yet, it remains one of the most […]

How can property taxes drive subnational development?

March 11, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

Cities are the engines of economic growth. Yet subnational governments, particularly in lower-income countries, continue to face severe and persistent challenges in service delivery and infrastructure. Strengthening local governments is therefore vital for improving state-building […]

Reimagining democracy from the ground up

February 17, 2026 Limabenla Jamir

In their newly-published open access volume, Citizen Participation in Local Governance: An Urban–Rural Perspective (Springer, 2026), Karl Kössler and Eva Schläppi bring together insights from 18 partner institutions across six continents to examine one of […]

Local public finances and the SDGs: How are European cities rewiring budgeting for a sustainable future?

February 17, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches, the global community faces a sobering reality: only 18% of targets are currently on track. While political commitment to the 2030 Agenda remains strong, […]

Devolved health services in Kenya: Access, efficiency, and the unfinished business of devolution

January 31, 2026 LPS Alliance

Over the past decade, Kenya’s devolution reform has fundamentally reshaped the country’s public sector by transferring responsibility for a wide range of public sector functions—including primary health services—to 47 county governments. The intent of this […]

Can federalism constrain authoritarianism?

January 26, 2026 LPS Alliance

Across the globe, democratic backsliding increasingly originates not from military coups or constitutional breakdowns, but from elected executives who concentrate power from within the system. Courts are packed, legislatures sidelined, and independent agencies weakened—often through […]

How intergovernmental fiscal transfers shape local democracy

January 19, 2026 LPS Alliance

Intergovernmental fiscal transfers are among the most powerful, and least visible, instruments in multilevel governance systems. They shape how resources flow across levels of government, determine the fiscal space available to local authorities, and influence […]

Why people-centered smart cities matter for decentralization

January 16, 2026 LPS Alliance

Around the world, cities are embracing digital technologies to improve mobility, service delivery, urban planning, and citizen engagement. Yet many “smart city” initiatives place technology at the center, rather than people. Sensors, platforms, and dashboards […]