Asia Archives – Decentralization Net

Latest

[ February 8, 2026 ] How India’s Sixteenth Finance Commission chose stability over disruption Asia
[ February 4, 2026 ] Leadership transition at the Local Public Sector Alliance Local Public Sector Alliance
[ January 31, 2026 ] Devolved health services in Kenya: Access, efficiency, and the unfinished business of devolution Africa
[ January 27, 2026 ] Introducing LPSA’s Monday Minute Community
[ January 26, 2026 ] Can federalism constrain authoritarianism? Decentralization

How India’s Sixteenth Finance Commission chose stability over disruption

February 8, 2026 LPS Alliance

The Finance Commission of India (FC) is one of India’s most credible institutions. It is a constitutional body whose function is to make recommendations to the Government of India on how to divide tax revenues […]

What works better: elected leaders or appointed bureaucrats?

November 24, 2025 Limabenla Jamir

A long-running debate in decentralization circles asks whether local governments function better under elected leaders or appointed bureaucrats. Advocates of political decentralization emphasize accountability, community voice, and responsiveness, while supporters of technocratic administration highlight expertise, […]

Do local gender quotas improve the electability of women at higher tiers?

September 23, 2025 LPS Alliance

One of the central promises of decentralization is that it can create political space for those historically excluded from power. In theory, local governance is the arena where marginalized voices—whether of caste, ethnicity, or gender—can […]

Effective multilevel governance and citizen engagement: billions of (dollar) reasons to care

August 18, 2025 LPS Alliance

With global development institutions in retreat, it is becoming more and more obvious that the public sector is unambiguously the primary enabler of ‘global’ development—capable of propelling development forward by embracing inclusive and effective multilevel […]

Centralization, Elite Capture, and Service Provision: Evidence From Taiwan

July 27, 2025 LPS Alliance

Champions of decentralization often argue that decentralization reforms have the potential to achieve a more inclusive and efficient public sector. This notion is based on the assumption that local governments—being closer to the people—are more […]

Intergovernmental competition for donations in Japan

June 30, 2025 LPS Alliance

One of the reasons why countries provide local governments with intergovernmental fiscal transfers is to compensate for intergovernmental externalities. For instance, in many countries, people born in rural areas often move to urban areas when […]

The Status of Devolution to Panchayats in India

February 23, 2025 LPS Alliance

Panchayats, as rural local self-government institutions are called in India, constitute a fundamental component of India’s multi-order federal system. Their authority is derived from the State, the sub-national entity responsible for nurturing and developing them. […]

Reimagining Urban Governance in Asia and the Pacific

January 28, 2025 Limabenla Jamir

As Asia and the Pacific region urbanize at an unprecedented pace, the need for transformative urban governance has never been more urgent. Over half of the region’s population now resides in cities, which generate over […]

Integrating Sustainable Development Goals in local plans

December 3, 2024 LPS Alliance

Local governments are pivotal in the implementation of sustainable development initiatives. However, the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into local plans remains a significant challenge, especially in countries–like Nepal–that are at the early […]

Decentralized Participatory Governance in Karnataka’s Cities

September 26, 2024 Limabenla Jamir

The competitiveness of cities—and ultimately, the economic competitiveness of countries—depends on cities being able to attract and retain highly productive industries and highly productive workers. In turn, ensuring the quality of life in cities and […]