Fiscal Decentralization Archives – Decentralization Net

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[ May 3, 2026 ] Multilevel Governance and Gender Localization
[ 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

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Multi-Level Governance in the Western Balkans

January 12, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

Multi-level governance (MLG) in the Western Balkans has made notable progress over the past decade, with administrations aligning institutional and legal frameworks to European principles and strengthening the role of local governments in democratic governance […]

Conditional grants and the hidden politics of fiscal decentralization

December 19, 2025 LPS Alliance

In discussions on fiscal decentralization, conditional grants are often treated as a technical detail rather than a central feature of multilevel governance. Much of the debate focuses on revenue assignments, own-source taxation, or unconditional transfers, […]

Financing green futures: Eco-fiscal tools in Canadian cities

September 14, 2025 Marina Jandrevska

As the impacts of climate change grow more severe, governments at all levels are facing a dual challenge: how to fund the transition to sustainable communities while managing increasing fiscal pressures. In this context, municipalities […]

Subnational governments, a key link for territorial development in Iberia and Latin America

September 12, 2025 LPS Alliance

“Subnational governments, a key link for territorial development.” This was a central theme of the Fourteenth Ibero-American Conference on Local Finance, held on September 3 and 4 in Asunción, Paraguay. The conference was supported by […]