Exploring Conditions for Local Economic Development in Decentralized Systems of Government

Abstract

The primary purpose of this chapter is to review global trends in decentralization, that is, the transfer of decision-making power and responsibilities from central to local authorities, along with changes in public finance, in the past decade.1 In highlighting common features in the process of decentralization, the secondary objective is to spot linkages in policy and practice that have relevance for local economic development (LED).