Administrative Decentralization

Decentralization (government) Administrative Decentralization

Introduction to Administrative Decentralization

Administrative decentralization exists when a central administrative authority delegates to regional offices the power to make certain important decisions. An example is the power of a field office to settle certain claims against the central administration. The extent of such delegation varies greatly among national administrations and even among agencies of the same government. Delegating authority of this sort to subordinate offices promotes efficiency and eliminates congestion at the central office. However, because of the great variety of functions performed by modern governments, it is difficult to lay down any principles by which administrative decentralization can be uniformly achieved. Experts in public administration often call delegation of this sort deconcentration.

Administrative decentralization is also found in independent establishments, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal corporation created by the Congress of the United States to deal with issues of development of the Tennessee River. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a government-controlled public service network, is another example. Large segments of public administration are turned over to these establishments, which, despite being independent, are directly responsible to the legislative body of the government. ” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Administrative Decentralization in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Administrative Decentralization

In this Section

Decentralization, Political Decentralization and Administrative Decentralization.