Comparing and Measuring Subnational Autonomy across Three Continents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4335/13.3.741-764(2015)Keywords:
comparative local government, decentralization, local autonomy, mid-range theorizationAbstract
The literature on comparative local government has been primarily focused on measurement of local governments while it has fallen short in theorizing on diverse structures, dynamics, and functioning of local governments throughout the world. This article posits that large data sets measuring local government indicators help to accumulate knowledge but fail to identify and explain the main dynamics behind local governments activities and processes. Attempting to increase comparability of local government across different regions, this article builds on qualitative indicators of decentralization in three sub-regions—South America, South Asia and Southern Africa—and assesses the evolution of subnational autonomy in the most decentralized countries in these sub-regions; namely, Brazil, India and South Africa.
References
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Tsebelis, G. (2002) Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
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Andrews, M. & Schroeder, L. (2003) Sectoral decentralisation and intergovernmental arrangements in Africa, Public Administration and Development, 23(1), pp. 29-40, doi: 10.1002/pad.257.
Boex, J. & Simatupang, R. (2008) Fiscal Decentralization and Empowerment: Evolving Concepts and Alternative Measures, Fiscal Studies, 29(4), pp. 435–465. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-5890.2008.00081.x.
Boone, C. (2003) Decentralization as Political Strategy in West Africa, Comparative Political Studies, 36(4), pp. 355-380, doi: 10.1177/0010414003251173.
Crepaz, M. M. (2004) The Impact of Collective and Competitive Veto Points on Redistribution in the Global Age, Comparative Political Studies, 37(3), pp. 259-285, doi: 10.1177/0010414003262067.
Dabla-Norris, E. (2006) The Challenge of Fiscal Decentralisation in Transition Countries, Comparative Economic Studies, 48, pp. 100–31, doi:10.1057/palgrave.ces.8100063.
Dauda, C. L. (2006) Democracy and Decentralisation: Local Politics, Marginalisation and Political Accountability in Uganda and South Africa, Public Administration and Development, 26(4), pp. 291–302, doi: 10.1002/pad.411.
Dewar, N. (1985) Municipal Government under the New South African Constitution: Who Gets What, Where, Who Decides, and Who Decides Who Decides?”, Social Dynamics, 11(2), pp. 37-48, doi: 10.1080/02533958508628683.
Dickovick, J. T. (2011) Decentralization and Recentralization in the Developing World (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press).
Do Vale, H. F. (2012) Reinventando Governos Locais Durante a Democratização: Dinâmicas Políticas e a Criação de Novos Municípios no Brasil e na África do Sul, Revista Brasileira de Ciência Política, 8, pp. 265-302, doi: 10.1590/S0103-33522012000200010.
Do Vale, H. F. (2013) Local Government Reforms in Federal Brazil, India and South Africa: A Comparative Overview, Lex Localis: Journal of Self-Government 11(3), pp. 453-470, doi:10.4335/11.3.453-470(2013).
Eaton, K. (2012) The State of the State in Latin America: Challenges, Challengers, Responses and Deficits, Revista de Ciencia Política 32(3), pp. 643-657.
Falleti, T. (2010) Decentralization and Subnational Politics in Latin America (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Ghuman, B. S. & Singh, R. (2013) Decentralization and Delivery of Public Services in Asia, Policy and Society, 32(1), pp. 7-21, doi: 10.1016/j.polsoc.2013.02.001.
Harbers, I. (2010). Decentralization and the Development of Nationalized Party Systems in New Democracies: Evidence From Latin America, Comparative Political Studies, 43(5), pp. 606-627, doi: 10.1177/0010414008330285.
Hooghe, L., & Marks, G. (2009) Does Efficiency Shape the Territorial Structure of Government?, Annual Review of Political Science, 12, pp. 225-41, doi: 10.1146/annurev.polisci.12.041107.102315.
Marks, G., Hooghe, L. & Schakel, A. H. (2008a) Measuring Regional Authority, Regional and Federal Studies, 18(2-3), pp. 111-121, doi: 10.1080/13597560801979464.
Marks, G., Hooghe, L. & Schakel, A. H. (2008b) Patterns of Regional Authority, Regional and Federal Studies, 18(2-3), pp. 167-181, doi: 10.1080/13597560801979506.
Martinez-Vazquez, J. & Timofeev, A. (2009) A Fiscal Perspective of State Rescaling, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 2(1), pp. 85-105, doi: 10.1093/cjres/rsn027.
Montero, A. & Samuels, D. (2004) The Political Determinants of Decentralization in Latin America: Causes and Consequences. In: Montero, A. P. & Samuels, D. J. (eds.), Democracy and Decentralization in Latin America (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press), pp. 3-32.
Nagai, F.; Fumatsu, T.; & Kagoya, K. (2008) Central-Local Government Relationship in Thailand. In: Nagai, F., Mektrairat, N. & Funatsu, T. (eds.) Local Government in Thailand—Analysis of the Local Administrative Organization Survey (Chiba: Institute of Developing Economies), pp. 1-30.
OECD (2013) Measuring Fiscal Decentralisation: Concepts and Policies (Paris: OECD Publishing).
Opskin, B. R. (2001) Mechanisms for Intergovernmental Relations in Federations, International Social Science Journal, 53(167), pp. 129-138, doi: 10.1111/1468-2451.00301.
Przeworski, A. (2007) Is the Science of Comparative Politics Possible?” In: Boix, C. & Stokes, S. C. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics (Oxford University Press), pp. 147-171.
Saxena, R. (2006) Situating Federalism: Mechanisms of Intergovernmental Relations in Canada and India (New Delhi: Manohar).
Schneider, A. (2003) Decentralization: Conceptualization and Measurement. Studies in Comparative International Development, 38(3), pp. 32-56, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02686198.
Shah, A., & Thompson, T. (2004) Implementing Decentralized Local Governance: A Treacherous Road with Potholes, Detours and Road Closures (World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3353. Washington DC: The World Bank).
Shair-Rosenfield, S., G. Marks, & L. Hooghe (2014) A Comparative Measure of Decentralization for Southeast Asia, Journal of East Asian Studies, 14(1), pp. 85-107, doi: 10.1177/1354068812462931.
Stegarescu, D. (2005) Public Sector Decentralisation: Measurement Concepts and Recent International Trends, Fiscal Studies, 26(3), pp. 301-333, doi: 10.1111/j.1475-5890.2005.00014.x.
Swenden, W. (2012) The Territorial and Non-territorial Management of Ethnic Diversity in South Asia, Regional & Federal Studies, 22(5), pp. 613-631, doi:10.1080/13597566.2012.725656.
Tarrow, S. (1978) Introduction, In: Tarrow, S.; Katzenstein, P. J.; & Luigi, G. (eds.), Territorial Politics in Industrial Nations (New York: Praeger Publishers), pp. 1-27.
Treisman, D. (2007) The Architecture of Government: Rethinking Political Decentralization (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Tsebelis, G. (2002) Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
Weingast, B. R. (2009) Second Generation Fiscal Federalism: The Implications of Fiscal Incentives, Journal of Urban Economics, 65(3), pp. 279-273, doi:10.1016/j.jue.2008.12.005.</span></p>
Published
2015-07-31
Issue
Section
Conference Paper (Annual Conference 2020)
