United States Archives – Decentralization Net

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 […]

Who trusts the Government of the United States?

February 14, 2025 LPS Alliance

Less than two weeks ago, people acting on the authority of the President of the United States announced that they would “shut down” the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with the United States Digital […]

Racial and Ethnic Representation in Local Government in the United States

May 6, 2024 LPS Alliance

Local governments can be an important mechanism to promote inclusive governance and equitable development. However, local government power can also be wielded as a mechanism for political, economic, or racial exclusion. Although local governments in […]

Bricks, Taxes and Spending: Solutions for Housing Equity across Levels of Government

May 2, 2024 LPS Alliance

Rising housing costs have made homeownership unaffordable for many low-income households across the OECD. Subnational governments play major roles in housing policy through social housing provision, land use regulation, and property taxes. Greater decentralization of […]

Local government managers are on the frontlines of American climate change

November 28, 2023 LPS Alliance

Due to the federal structure of the United States, state and local governments in the U.S. are the implementation agents for a vast swath of federal policies. One area where state and local governments play […]

The Forum of Federations Handbook of Fiscal Federalism

August 20, 2023 Marina Jandrevska

Fiscal federalism is a critical area of study as it underpins almost all other facets of subnational governance. The overriding issue in fiscal federalism is referred to as the assignment problem, that is, the assignment […]

Climate Governance and Federalism

May 28, 2023 LPS Alliance

Climate change poses one of the greatest challenges of our time, demanding urgent action and global cooperation. As nations grapple with the complexities of climate governance, the role of federal systems becomes a topic of […]

Options for a Reform of the Mexican Intergovernmental Transfer System

October 4, 2022 LPSAManager

A recent study by Teresa Ter-Minassian and Andrés Muñoz Miranda published by the Inter-American Development Bank aims at providing an overview of international experiences with the design and reform of intergovernmental transfers, especially in large […]

Coordinating public infrastructure across government levels in the United States

February 16, 2022 LPSAManager

For over 25 years, the United states has not had a standing institutional mechanism for intergovernmental coordination between federal, state, and local governments. The last official organization that handled such coordination was the U.S. Advisory […]

Entrepreneurial Thinking in Local Government

December 18, 2021 LPS Alliance

Local governments have opportunities to pursue entrepreneurial activities that take advantage of the assets they have to create more value for the community and financially strengthen the local government. Innovation, along with efficient execution of […]