Decentralization

Decentralization (government)

Introduction to Decentralization

Decentralization (government), transfer of power from a central government to subordinate authorities. A decentralized government is the opposite of a centralized government, in which power is legally vested in the central government and local governments act merely as agents, having no decision-making power of their own. Decentralization of a government may be either political or administrative. ” (1)

Decentralised Counting in Election Law

Situation in which the counting of votes is processed at the polling station level. It is an approach that guarantees greater transparency of the process, making it easier to track the votes. This type of counting is the most common type of procedure and also allows national and international observers, as well as candidate and political party representatives, to conduct parallel voting tabulation.

Decentralization of State Power and Control (in the Human Development Area)

In this context, Decentralization of State Power and Control means: This is the process of delegation of functions of grassroots governance structures and local authorities. In a broad sense also means the redistribution of powers and prerogatives between branches of government, between government and economic structures, as well as between public authorities and civil society institutions.

Literature Review on Decentralization in Developing Countries

In the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy, [1] Scott Fritzen and Patrick W. Ong provide the following summary about the topic of Decentralization in Developing Countries: Decentralization as an approach to development administration occupies an important conceptual position within the development discourse. Yet, the assessment of decentralization in a significant share of the academic and practitioner literature has shifted from marked optimism to one of caution, even pessimism. This entry presents a typology of decentralization reforms in developing countries. It then explores the ideological and rhetorical underpinnings of decentralization reforms and the complex set of political realities and motivations in the centralized governments, which are, rhetorically or effectively, undertaking them. Four problematic issues and controversies surrounding decentralization are explored in the concluding section, including the impacts of decentralization on inequality, macroeconomic stability, and political accountability. In analyzing specific reforms, analysts should attempt to explain the diverse impacts of decentralization reforms and to elucidate the political dynamics of center–local relations.

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See Also

• Government
• Government Contract
• Local Government
• Public Administration
• Administrative Law
• Public Law

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Notes and References

1. Entry about Decentralization in Developing Countries in the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy (2015, Routledge, Oxford, United Kingdom)

See Also

Further Reading

• Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance (2018, Springer International Publishing, Germany)

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See Also

• Election Law
• Electoral Laws
• Electoral Legislation

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Notes and References

• Information about Decentralization in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Decentralization

In this Section

Decentralization, Political Decentralization and Administrative Decentralization.