Regions & Countries Archives – Page 4 of 34

Fiscal decentralization and economic growth in African and OECD countries

July 28, 2025 LPS Alliance

It is no secret that there is a strong correlation between a country’s level of development and its degree of (fiscal) decentralization. After all, many OECD countries are quite highly devolved, whereas many non-OECD countries […]

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 fiscal transfers and fiscal equalization in a time of consolidation

July 25, 2025 LPS Alliance

During periods of fiscal consolidation, governments must balance tighter budgets with equitable service delivery. This balance is a particular challenge in devolved countries, where central fiscal authorities might be inclined prioritize macroeconomic balance and fiscal […]

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 […]

IDB Empowers Local Governments with Direct Access to Funding

June 28, 2025 LPS Alliance

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved the “IDB for Cities and Regions” initiative, a pioneering five-year pilot that will enable eligible cities, states, and regions in Latin America and the Caribbean to access a […]

Unlocking Municipal Finance for African Cities

June 14, 2025 Marina Jandrevska

African cities are vital areas that require well-funded infrastructure and services to be livable, sustainable, and productive. However, financing urban development is a complex issue. A recent working paper by the African Cities Research Consortium […]

Syria’s new leaders reject demands for federalism and regional autonomy

April 29, 2025 LPS Alliance

Syria’s Islamist leaders said this week on Sunday that Kurdish demands for the country to adopt a decentralized system of government in a post-Assad political order posed a threat to national unity. “We clearly reject […]

Decentralization and Criminal Gangs in El Salvador

April 9, 2025 LPS Alliance

Over the past two decades, decentralization has been widely embraced as a pathway to stronger governance, more responsive service delivery, and increased local accountability. In El Salvador, this model helped democratize the political landscape after […]

Does the amalgamation of local governments really improve service delivery, fiscal capacity and citizen choice?

March 25, 2025 Marina Jandrevska

The amalgamation of local governments has been touted as one of the main methods to improve service delivery and increase fiscal capacity. While there have been a number of research papers looking at the experience […]

Decentralization, local governance, and inequality in the Middle East and North Africa

March 7, 2025 LPS Alliance

While many scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners view decentralization as a way to increase participation, strengthen political representation, and improve social welfare, little is known about the experiences of communities in the context of decentralization […]