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Decentralised Governance: Crafting effective democracies around the world - cover image
LSE Press

Decentralised Governance: Crafting effective democracies around the world

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TitleDecentralised Governance
SubtitleCrafting effective democracies around the world
ContributorJean-Paul Faguet(editor)
Sarmistha Pal(editor)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.31389/lsepress.dlg
Landing pagehttps://press.lse.ac.uk/site/books/10.31389/lsepress.dlg
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
CopyrightAuthor(s)
PublisherLSE Press
Publication placeLondon
Published on2023-09-13
ISBN978-1-909890-84-8 (Paperback)
978-1-909890-85-5 (PDF)
978-1-909890-86-2 (EPUB)
978-1-909890-87-9 (MOBI)
Short abstractFor developing countries, decentralising power from central government to local authorities holds the promise of deepening democracy, empowering citizens, improving public services and boosting economic growth. <i>Decentralised Governance</i> brings together a new generation of political economy studies that explore these issues analytically, blending theoretical insights with empirical innovation.
Long abstractFor developing countries, decentralising power from central government to local authorities holds the promise of deepening democracy, empowering citizens, improving public services and boosting economic growth. But the evidence on when and how decentralisation can bring these benefits has been mixed. Under the wrong conditions, decentralised power can be captured by unrepresentative elites or undermined by corruption and the clientelistic distribution of public resources. The picture is complex, and we still do not understand enough about what factors can contribute to creating better local government, and to what effect. Decentralised Governance brings together a new generation of political economy studies that explore these questions analytically, blending theoretical insights with empirical innovation. Individual chapters provide fresh evidence from around the world, including broad cross-country data as well as detailed studies of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Ghana, Kenya and Colombia. They investigate the pros and cons of decentralisation in both democratic and autocratic regimes, and the effects of critical factors such as advances in technology, citizen-based data systems, political entrepreneurship in ethnically diverse societies, and reforms aimed at improving transparency and monitoring. This wide-ranging volume examines the conditions under which devolving power can intensify democratic competition, boost transparency, and improve local governance, providing examples of good and bad practice in both. It is essential reading for researchers investigating decentralised governance, development and democratisation, and for policymakers and practitioners drawing lessons for future reforms.
Print length390 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Dimensions152 x 229 mm | 6" x 9" (Paperback)
THEMA
  • JKS
  • JPP
  • JPRB
BIC
  • JKS
  • JPP
  • JPRB
BISAC
  • POL017000
  • POL028000
  • POL048000
LCC
  • Public administration
Keywords
  • Decentralisation
  • Democracy
  • Global South
  • Government
  • Local Government