Decentralization Archives – Decentralization Net

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, […]

Decentralized responsibilities without decentralized resources?

April 10, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

The role of local governments in European public service delivery has expanded significantly over the past two decades. Across the European Union, municipalities have become central actors in the provision of education, healthcare, social protection, […]

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 […]

An inflection point in South Africa’s local government reform?

March 3, 2026 LPS Alliance

South Africa’s system of local government is at a critical juncture. Nearly three decades after the advent of democratic local governance, the country has built a comprehensive municipal system and expanded access to basic services. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]