Political economy Archives – Decentralization Net

The real financing issue in ECD and childcare isn’t finance

May 7, 2026 Jacqueline Muthura

From May 5-8, 2026, early childhood champions from around the world met in Kigali for Investing in the Early Years: A Global Technical Financing Forum, convened by ECDAN with AFECN, UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO. The Local […]

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 […]

Unlocking Zambia’s Property Tax Potential: A Path Toward Inclusive Reform

August 25, 2025 Marina Jandrevska

Effective property taxation is contingent on comprehensive property identification. In Zambia, as in many low- and middle-income countries, the first step toward fiscal inclusion is the systematic discovery and recording of properties, creating a fairer […]

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 […]

The implementation of decentralization reforms in multi-level systems

February 8, 2025 Limabenla Jamir

Decentralization is often viewed as a legal and constitutional process, but the reality is far more complex. In multi-level governance systems, the distribution of power between central and regional governments is not solely determined by […]

Coming soon: LPSA’s Thematic Working Group on Local Democracy

September 25, 2023 LPS Alliance

When a country is committed to inclusive governance, democracy, and community-led development, it will empower its citizens to address their collective challenges as close to the people as efficiently possible by empowering their local governments […]