Overview

Taking a multidisciplinary approach to the dynamics of political and economic decentralization in contemporary regimes, this comprehensive Handbook offers a critical examination of how the decentralization of governance affects citizen well-being. Expert contributors provide an analysis of theoretical developments and empirical approaches in the study of decentralization, exploring how decentralization is conceptualized and measured. Chapters examine central topics including how the degree and type of decentralization varies over time and across countries, how political decentralization affects the behaviour of parties and voters, and the social and economic consequences of decentralizing power. Offering a comparative perspective, the Handbook utilizes insightful international case studies from Latin America, North America, Western Europe and Asia. Attention is also paid to the impact of the Great Recession of 2008 and the Covid-19 pandemic on intergovernmental relations. This Handbook will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of political geography and geopolitics, regulation and governance, and international politics. It will also be useful for practitioners in these fields who are interested in decentralization.

Full Product Details

Author:   Ignacio Lago
Publisher:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
Imprint:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
ISBN:  

9781839103278

ISBN 10:   1839103272
Pages:   400
Publication Date:   19 October 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

Contents: Preface xiv 1 Introduction to the Handbook on Decentralization, Devolution and the State 1 Ignacio Lago PART I METHODS, DATA AND APPROACHES 2 Conceptualizing and measuring decentralization 9 Paolo Dardanelli 3 Exploring and explaining trends in decentralization 27 Arjan Schakel 4 Second-order elections and electoral democracy 52 Hermann Schmitt and Eftichia Teperoglou 5 Redistribution and equality: the role of the territorial conflict dimension 67 Francesc Amat and Emmy Lindstam 6 The political determinants of decentralization 91 Amuitz Garmendia PART II DECENTRALIZATION IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE 7 Decentralization and subnational politics in Latin America 115 Jorge Gordin 8 Decentralization and subnational politics in Asia 131 Sarah Shair-Rosenfield 9 Decentralization and subnational politics in North America 147 Raul A. Ponce Rodriguez 10 Decentralization and subnational politics in Western Europe 171 Caroline Gray, Ed Turner and Davide Vampa PART III POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF DECENTRALIZATION 11 Attributions of responsibility in multilevel states 197 Sandra Leon and Ignacio Jurado 12 Decentralization and electoral accountability 213 Philip Charbonneau and Cameron D. Anderson 13 Territorial autonomy, ethnic conflict, and secession: between a rock and a hard place? 236 Paul Anderson and Soeren Keil 14 Electoral behaviour in multilevel systems 255 Jean-Francois Daoust and Andre Blais PART IV SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF DECENTRALIZATION 15 Federalism and income inequality 270 Vassilis Tselios 16 A multidimensional analysis of the link between decentralization and development 287 Gianpiero Torrisi 17 Social policy in decentralized countries 303 Hanna Kleider and Lucas Silva Lopes 18 Fiscal decentralization and governance quality: a review of the literature and additional evidence 322 Andreas P. Kyriacou and Oriol Roca-Sagales 19 The Great Recession and the Great Lockdown: how are they shaping intergovernmental relations? 347 Luiz de Mello

Reviews

'This Handbook offers a superb collection of essays edited by a leading scholar in the field, Ignacio Lago. The volume represents a rich tapestry of critical research on decentralization from a variety of perspectives including political science, economics, sociology, and geography. The chapters lay out the state of the art in decentralization research and the current gaps that will re-invigorate further scholarly work. Researchers, practitioners and policymakers will very much profit from the lessons and insights in this excellent volume.' -- Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, Georgia State University, US 'The Handbook on Decentralization, Devolution and the State provides an excellent overview and compelling future research agenda on the causes and consequences of decentralization. Written by leading scholars in the field in an accessible format, this is a must-read.' -- Liesbet Hooghe, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US and the European University Institute, Florence, Italy

'This Handbook offers a superb collection of essays edited by a leading scholar in the field, Ignacio Lago. The volume represents a rich tapestry of critical research on decentralization from a variety of perspectives including political science, economics, sociology, and geography. The chapters lay out the state of the art in decentralization research and the current gaps that will re-invigorate further scholarly work. Researchers, practitioners and policymakers will very much profit from the lessons and insights in this excellent volume.' -- Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, Georgia State University, US ‘The Handbook on Decentralization, Devolution and the State provides an excellent overview and compelling future research agenda on the causes and consequences of decentralization. Written by leading scholars in the field in an accessible format, this is a must-read.‘ -- Liesbet Hooghe, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US and the European University Institute, Florence, Italy

Author Information

Edited by Ignacio Lago, Professor, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

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