财政Fragmentation in Decentralized Countries

Subsidiarity, Solidarity and Asymmetry

Edited by the late Richard M. Bird, formerly Rotman School of Management and Senior Fellow, Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Canada and Robert D. Ebel, Steen Enterprises, Washington, DC, US

Most countries, developed and developing, are fiscally decentralized with regional and local governments of varying importance. In many of these countries, some of these sub-national governments differ substantially from others in terms of wealth, ethnic, religious, or linguistic composition. This book considers how fiscal arrangements may strengthen or weaken national solidarity and the effectiveness with which public services are provided. In particular, the nation’s ability to cope with changes created by decentralization is explored.

‘. . . the book is coherent and engaging throughout, with each contributor offering the reader valuable insights into the various forces shaping their chosen country of study. . . this is an important book, which will engage and indeed possibly help to define continuing debates in development studies into the future. . . The authors have produced a book which will be of particular interest to policy analysts looking at intergovernmental finance and to those concerned with political legitimacy and governance, especially in relation to the countries profiled here, though it will also prove useful to those looking at issues around globalization and tools used by institutions such as the World Bank in its promotion.’
– Breffní Lennon, Progress in Development Studies