Bibliograph

The architecture of government, rethinking political decentralization, Daniel Treisman

Type

Label

The architecture of government, rethinking political decentralization, Daniel Treisman

Language

eng

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The architecture of government

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Oclc number

772458981

Responsibility statement

Daniel Treisman

Series statement

Cambridge studies in comparative politicsCambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Sub title

rethinking political decentralization

Summary

Since the days of Montesquieu and Jefferson, political decentralization has been seen as a force for better government and economic performance. It is thought to bring government 'closer to the people', nurture civic virtue, protect liberty, exploit local information, stimulate policy innovation, and alleviate ethnic tensions. Inspired by such arguments, and generously funded by the major development agencies, countries across the globe have been racing to devolve power to local governments. This book re-examines the arguments that underlie the modern faith in decentralization. Using logical analysis and formal modeling, and appealing to numerous examples, it shows that most are based on vague intuitions or partial views that do not withstand scrutiny. A review of empirical studies of decentralization finds these as inconclusive and mutually contradictory as the theories they set out to test.--, Provided by publisher

Creator