Applying A Simple Measure Of Good Governance To The Debate On Fiscal Decentralization

Author : Jeff Huther,Anwar Shah
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 37 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Decentralization in government
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Applying a Simple Measure of Good Governance to the Debate on Fiscal Decentralization by Jeff Huther,Anwar Shah Pdf

March 1998 Applying an index for the quality of governance reveals a surprisingly strong positive correlation between fiscal decentralization and quality of governance. Debates about the appropriate role, policies, and institutions of the state are often hampered by the lack of a definition for good government. To provide a quantifiable measure of good government, Huther and Shah develop an index for the quality of governance for a sample of 80 countries. They apply the index to the debate on the appropriate level of fiscal decentralization. In measuring the quality of governance, the authors develop indices for the government's ability to: * Ensure political transparency and a voice for all citizens (the citizen participation index measures political freedom and political stability). * Provide effective public services efficiently (the government orientation index measures judicial and bureaucratic efficiency and the absence of corruption). * Promote the health and well-being of its citizens (the social development index measures human development and equitable distribution of income). * Create a favorable climate for stable economic growth (the economic management index measures outward orientation, independence of the central bank, and an inverted debt-to-GDP ratio). In relating the index of governance quality to degree of fiscal decentralization for the 80 countries, Huther and Shah are not surprised to find a positive relationship between fiscal decentralization and quality of governance. But the strength of the correlation is surprising. This paper-a product of Country Evaluation and Regional Relations Division, Operations Evaluation Department-is part of a larger effort in the department to examine the role of the authorizing environment in public sector performance.

Author : Anwar Shah
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 28 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Electronic
ISBN : OCLC:1290705428

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Applying a Simple Measure of Good Governance to the Debate on Fiscal Decentralization by Anwar Shah Pdf

Applying an index for the quality of governance reveals a surprisingly strong positive correlation between fiscal decentralization and quality of governance.Debates about the appropriate role, policies, and institutions of the state are often hampered by the lack of a definition for good government. To provide a quantifiable measure of good government, Huther and Shah develop an index for the quality of governance for a sample of 80 countries. They apply the index to the debate on the appropriate level of fiscal decentralization.In measuring the quality of governance, the authors develop indices for the government?s ability to:- Ensure political transparency and a voice for all citizens (the citizen participation index measures political freedom and political stability).- Provide effective public services efficiently (the government orientation index measures judicial and bureaucratic efficiency and the absence of corruption).- Promote the health and well-being of its citizens (the social development index measures human development and equitable distribution of income).- Create a favorable climate for stable economic growth (the economic management index measures outward orientation, independence of the central bank, and an inverted debt-to-GDP ratio). In relating the index of governance quality to degree of fiscal decentralization for the 80 countries, Huther and Shah are not surprised to find a positive relationship between fiscal decentralization and quality of governance. But the strength of the correlation is surprising.This paper - a product of Country Evaluation and Regional Relations Division, Operations Evaluation Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to examine the role of the authorizing environment in public sector performance.

Author : Nafukho, Frederick Muyia,Boniface Makulilo, Alexander
Publisher : IGI Global
Page : 510 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2021-03-19
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781799864721

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Handbook of Research on Nurturing Industrial Economy for Africa’s Development by Nafukho, Frederick Muyia,Boniface Makulilo, Alexander Pdf

A robust manufacturing sector is a necessity and a sufficient condition for any country’s human and economic development as it creates employment and alleviates poverty. During this Fourth Industrial Revolution era, there is an urgent need in Africa to optimally utilize the existing resources to support manufacturing or else risk allowing the continent to fall behind in the industrial economy. Innovative strategies are needed that can unlock Africa’s manufacturing potential by exploring key areas that may help Africa mature and launch modernized economies that will benefit the developed world’s industrial economy. The Handbook of Research on Nurturing Industrial Economy for Africa’s Development examines various innovations necessary for Africa’s economic development including drivers of the manufacturing economy such as education, agriculture, human capital, science and technological innovations, language, politics, and business environments. The book explores strategies to increase Africa’s economic diversity, complexity, productivity, and ultimately competitiveness, and for the continent to realize its manufacturing/industrial potential. Further, chapters focus on African countries’ industrial economies in the African context and facilitating the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. This book is a valuable reference tool for government officials, economists, industrialists, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the industrial economic development of Africa.

Author : Babao?lu, Cenay,Akman, Elvettin,Kulaç, Onur
Publisher : IGI Global
Page : 622 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2020-11-20
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781799849797

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Handbook of Research on Global Challenges for Improving Public Services and Government Operations by Babao?lu, Cenay,Akman, Elvettin,Kulaç, Onur Pdf

As the field of public administration has been changing due to globalization, government reforms, and increasing governance practices within intergovernmental networks, research and teaching in public administration also adapted itself to these changes. Public policy research and instruction has become transformed and has diffused into other countries with the help of international organizations and other agents of change and transfer. Research in this field is seen as an opportunity for a definitive shift from traditional models of public administration in the sense that policies may be better designed, articulated, and governed through a collaborative approach, while service provision could be enhanced in terms of proximity, representativeness, and innovativeness. The Handbook of Research on Global Challenges for Improving Public Services and Government Operations provides comprehensive approaches to the study of public administration and public policy from a comparative perspective and includes sound theories and concepts for understanding opportunities and challenges governments face when seeking to improve public services and government operations. The book is a compilation of selective high-quality chapters covering cases, experiences, and practical recommendations on topics related to public administration, public policy, social policy, public management, and public affairs. This book is ideal for policymakers, students, and researchers in the field of public administration, public policy, governance, public management, public affairs, citizen engagement, and administrative sciences and management along with practitioners, stakeholders, and academicians interested in the best practices of various countries in public administration and policy.

Author : Jorge Martinez-Vazquez
Publisher : Asian Development Bank
Page : 54 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2011-07-01
Category : Law
ISBN : 9789290923237

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The Impact of Fiscal Decentralization by Jorge Martinez-Vazquez Pdf

This publication analyzes the impact of fiscal decentralization and the resultant issues and challenges that countries face in practice. It traces the evolution of fiscal decentralization as a significant and consequential global reform that has made subnational governments' key public sector actors in a majority of countries. This note touches upon its various aspects: incidence and presence in the world; foundation in economics; impact of a list of outcomes, including economic growth, macroeconomic stability, poverty and income distribution, and service delivery and political accountability. It confirms the positive overall impact of decentralized systems, especially when they are well designed and implemented with examples from around the world, including those from Asia and the Pacific.

Author : Brian Dollery,Harry Kitchen,Melville McMillan,Anwar Shah
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 330 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2020-06-01
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9783030367251

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Local Public, Fiscal and Financial Governance by Brian Dollery,Harry Kitchen,Melville McMillan,Anwar Shah Pdf

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of traditional as well as newer topics in local public, fiscal and financial management principles and practices. It covers traditional topics of local public management, local revenue administration with special emphasis on property tax administration, local budgeting and accounting, and methods of capital finance. Newer topics covered include political economy of local government, fiscal rules for local fiscal discipline, local government integrity and performance accountability, and municipal mergers and inter-municipal cooperation based upon relative importance and political, fiscal and administrative autonomy of local governments. The treatment is non-technical and suitable for a wide variety of audiences including scholars, instructors, students, policy advisors, and practitioners.

Author : Roy Bahl,Richard M. Bird
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
Page : 512 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2018-03-30
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781786435309

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Fiscal Decentralization and Local Finance in Developing Countries by Roy Bahl,Richard M. Bird Pdf

This book draws on experiences in developing countries to bridge the gap between the conventional textbook treatment of fiscal decentralization and the actual practice of subnational government finance. The extensive literature about the theory and practice is surveyed and longstanding problems and new questions are addressed. It focuses on the key choices that must be made in decentralizing, on how economic and political factors shape the choices that countries make, and on how, by paying more attention to the need for a more comprehensive approach and the critical connections between different components of decentralization reform, everyone involved might get more for their money.

Author : Jennie Ilene Litvack,Junaid Ahmad,Richard Miller Bird
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 1998-01-01
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0821343505

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Rethinking Decentralization in Developing Countries by Jennie Ilene Litvack,Junaid Ahmad,Richard Miller Bird Pdf

In an effort to reduce poverty and improve nutrition, this Bank operation assisted the Indian program Operation Flood to develop the dairy industry in India. This study examines the policy changes instituted to support the aid flow to the dairy sector and discusses the lessons learned and benefits realized through improved dairy production. It also presents suggestions for improvement. This program differs from other Bank efforts in that it focuses on a single commodity to alleviate poverty and raise living standards.

Author : Anwar Shah
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 55 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Federal government
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Fiscal Decentralization and Fiscal Performance by Anwar Shah Pdf

Fiscal rules binding on all levels can help sustain political commitment in countries having coalitions or fragmented regimes in power. Coordinating institutions help in the use of moral suasion to encourage a coordinated response. Industrial countries' experiences also show that unilaterally imposed federal controls and constraints on subnational governments typically do not work. Instead, societal norms based on fiscal conservatism such as the Swiss referenda and political activism of the electorate play important roles. Ultimately capital markets and bond-rating agencies provide more effective discipline on fiscal policy. In this context, it is important not to backstop state and local debt and not to allow ownership of the banks by any level of government. Transparency of the budgetary process and institutions, accountability to the electorate, and general availability of comparative data encourages fiscal discipline.

Author : Lev M. Freinkman,Plamen Yossifov
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 57 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Accounting
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Decentralization in Regional Fiscal Systems in Russia by Lev M. Freinkman,Plamen Yossifov Pdf

Abstract: April 1999 - Considering the positive impact decentralization has had on regional economic performance and expenditure structure, Russia's federal government should: Decisively protect local self-governance and budget autonomy; Make intergovernmental fiscal relations more transparent; Develop universal models of interactions between regional and municipal governments; Impose stricter limits on total debt and budget deficits of subnational governments. To shed light on decentralization in Russia, Freinkman and Yossifov examine intergovernmental fiscal relations within regions. To analyze trends, they review channels of fiscal allocation within regions-tax sharing and local transfer schemes. To evaluate the potential impact of various fiscal decentralization patterns on regional economic performance (including growth and the budget deficit), they study data on the structure of 89 Russian consolidated regional budgets for 1992-96. They find that local governments' relative share of Russia's consolidated budget, although substantive (roughly a quarter of the total budget), did not expand after 1994. The federal government's relative role in financing public goods and services declined as the relative role of local governments increased substantially. Local governments collected more revenues in 1996 (6.4 percent of GDP) and spent more than regional governments. They also substantially increased social financing (including health, education, and social protection). Russia made no progress toward a more transparent system for tax assignments. The average level of expenditure decentralization is similar for ethnically Russian regions and national republics and okrugs but revenue arrangements differ greatly. True decentralization has taken place in oblasts and krais, where local authorities are provided with a bigger share of subnational tax revenues. A redistribution model applies in republics and autonomous okrugs, where greater local outlays have been financed through larger transfers from regional governments. Regions near each other tend to have similar budget arrangements-the result of intensive interactions between neighbors and probably supported by the activities of regional associations. The size of a region's territory does not influence decentralization outcomes. Fiscal decentralization seems positively related to the share of education spending in regional budgets. And regions with more decentralized finances tend to experience less economic decline. But budget control is weaker in more decentralized regions. Instability and lack of transparency in intergovernmental fiscal relations provide subnational governments little incentive for responsible fiscal policy. Further decentralization without greater transparency could bring greater debt and deficits. This paper-a product of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Sector Unit, Europe and Central Asia Region - is part of a larger effort in the unit to study fiscal decentralization in transition economies. Lev Freinkman may be contacted at [email protected].

Author : Shyamnal Chowdhury, Futoshi Yamauchi, Reno Dewina
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2024-06-02
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Governance decentralization and local infrastructure provision in Indonesia by Shyamnal Chowdhury, Futoshi Yamauchi, Reno Dewina Pdf

Author : Todor Arpad
Publisher : Editura Lumen
Page : 14 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Decentralization in government
ISBN : 9789731660103

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Decentralization and State Capacity by Todor Arpad Pdf

The scope of the present approach is twofold. First, it will try to analyze whether the post- communist transitions were very different from other transitions from autocratic rule (see Schneider and Schmitter 2003 for a debate on the subject) by attempting to adjust a theoretical apparatus developed for other uses and to apply it irrespective of the degree of democratization. Second, as the vision on what decentralization means and how it works influences how important funds are distributed and how many programs of the international institutions are implemented, the findings may have an immense public policy stake. Especially under the influence of the main international institutions of the World Bank and the IMF, many developing countries are guided into adopting specific policies.--

Author : E. Ahmad
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
Page : 585 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781847201515

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Handbook of Fiscal Federalism by E. Ahmad Pdf

This volume provides comprehensive coverage of fiscal federalism by some of the leading scholars in the field. . . This Handbook is an excellent addition to the present discourse on the role of the state in fiscal matters. This reviewer would recommend this book as a required text for a graduate or senior class on public finance or economic development. Researchers in economic development, public finance, and fiscal policy likewise would find this volume useful. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections. J. Raman, Choice This major Handbook addresses fiscal relations between different levels of government under the general rubric of fiscal federalism , providing a review of the latest literature as well as an invaluable guide for practitioners and policy makers seeking informed policy options. The contributors include leading lights in the field, many of whom have themselves made seminal contributions to the literature. Comprehensive and wide in coverage, the issues covered range from federal systems to other forms of intergovernmental relations, such as supra-national constructs namely, the European Union unitary states, regional systems, and more decentralized operations, including community level organizations. The political economy approach emphasizes the importance of institutional arrangements, including the legal, political and administrative aspects, and information flows to ensure that there are appropriate incentives and sanctions to generate good governance. This Handbook also devotes attention to emerging issues, such as environmental protection, the sharing of natural resources among levels of government, corruption and the impact of federalism and decentralization on national unity. It will be a vital reference tool for the area for many years to come.

Author : Jonas Frank,Jorge Martinez-Vazquez
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 497 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2015-07-03
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781317438588

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Decentralization and Infrastructure in the Global Economy by Jonas Frank,Jorge Martinez-Vazquez Pdf

The subnational dimension of infrastructure has emerged as one of the greatest challenges in contemporary public finance policy and management. Ensuring the efficient provision of infrastructure represents a challenge for all countries irrespective of their level of centralization or decentralization. This book proposes an innovative approach for the strengthening of decentralized public investment and infrastructure management. Decentralization and Infrastructure in the Global Economy: From Gaps to Solutions covers the most important aspects of infrastructure investment in a decentralized setting. It discusses infrastructure gaps and the quality of subnational spending; how functional responsibilities, financing and equalization can be designed; sector-specific arrangements in high expenditure areas, such as health, education and roads; key steps of the public investment cycle and management; and analyses the political economy and corruption challenges that typically accompany decentralized infrastructure projects. This book challenges some of the well-accepted principles of intergovernmental fiscal relations and will be useful to researchers and practitioners of public finance policy and management.

Author : Sebastian Edwards,Simon Johnson,David N. Weil
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 454 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2016-09-23
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780226316369

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African Successes, Volume I by Sebastian Edwards,Simon Johnson,David N. Weil Pdf

Studies of African economic development frequently focus on the daunting challenges the continent faces. From recurrent crises to ethnic conflicts and long-standing corruption, a raft of deep-rooted problems has led many to regard the continent as facing many hurdles to raise living standards. Yet Africa has made considerable progress in the past decade, with a GDP growth rate exceeding five percent in some regions. The African Successes series looks at recent improvements in living standards and other measures of development in many African countries with an eye toward identifying what shaped them and the extent to which lessons learned are transferable and can guide policy in other nations and at the international level. The first volume in the series, African Successes: Governments and Institutions considers the role governments and institutions have played in recent developments and identifies the factors that enable economists to predict the way institutions will function.