Decentralizing Governance

Emerging Concepts and Practices

G. Shabbir Cheema, Dennis A. Rondinelli

• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press/Ash Center
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9780815713906
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

A Brookings Institution Press and Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation publicationThe trend toward greater decentralization of governance activities, now accepted as commonplace in the West, has become a worldwide movement. This international development—largely a product of globalization and democratization—is clearly one of the key factors reshaping economic, political, and social conditions throughout the world. Rather than the top-down, centralized decisionmaking that characterized communist economies and Third World dictatorships in the twentieth century, today's world demands flexibility, adaptability, and the autonomy to bring those qualities to bear.In this thought-provoking book, the first in a new series on Innovations in Governance, experts in government and public management trace the evolution and performance of decentralization concepts, from the transfer of authority within government to the sharing of power, authority, and responsibilities among broader governance institutions. This movement is not limited to national government—it also affects subnational governments, NGOs, private corporations, and even civil associations.The contributors assess the emerging concepts of decentralization (e.g., devolution, empowerment, capacity building, and democratic governance). They detail the factors driving the movement, including political changes such as the fall of the Iron Curtain and the ascendance of democracy; economic factors such as globalization and outsourcing; and technological advances (e.g. increased information technology and electronic commerce). Their analysis covers many different contexts and regions. For example, William Ascher of Claremont McKenna College chronicles how decentralization concepts are playing out in natural resources policy, while Kadmeil Wekwete (United Nations) outlines the specific challenges to decentralizing governance in sub-Saharan Africa. In each case, contributors explore the objectives of a decentralizing strategy as well as the benefits and difficulties that will likely result.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Chapter 1: From Government Decentralization to Decentralized Governance
• Chapter 2: Parallel and Partnership Approaches to Decentralized Governance: Experience in Weak States
• Chapter 3: Decentralization and Electronic Governance
• Chapter 4: Local Governments That Perform Well: Four Explanations
• Chapter 5: Political Decentralization in Africa: Experiences of Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa
• Chapter 6: Devolution toward Democracy: Lessons for Theory and Practice from the Philippines
• Chapter 7: Decentralization, Deconcentration, and Poverty Reduction in the Asia Pacific
• Chapter 8: Fiscan Decentralization and Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations: Navigating a Viable Path to Reform
• Chapter 9: Government Decentralization and Decentralized Governance in Latin America: The Silent Revolution of the Local Level?
• Chapter 10: Devolution with Accountability: Learning from Good Practices
• Chapter 11: Decentralization and Participatory Local Governance: A Decision Space Analysis and Application to Peru
• Chapter 12: Challenges to Decentralized Governance in Weak States
• Chapter 13: Decentralization and Legal Empowerment of the Poor
• Chapter 14: Decentralization to Promote Effective and Efficient Pro-Poor Infrastructure and Service Delivery in the Least-Developed Countries
• Chapter 15: Designing Decentralized Coastal Management Programs
• Chapter 16: Issues and Best Practices in the Decentralization of Natural Resource Control in Developing Countries
• Contributors
• Index
• Back Cover