Description
Book SynopsisMost countries, developed and developing, are fiscally decentralized with regional and local governments of varying importance. In many of these countries, some of these sub-national governments differ substantially from others in terms of wealth, ethnic, religious, or linguistic composition. This book considers how fiscal arrangements may strengthen or weaken national solidarity and the effectiveness with which public services are provided. In particular, the nation's ability to cope with changes created by decentralization is explored.
Through a series of case studies, the countries of Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, Spain and Switzerland are examined with an eye to how their public finances are structured and how these arrangements act to promote equilibrium or turmoil in the nation state. This is the first detailed consideration of the link between asymmetry and intergovernmental finance, as well as the first detailed study of how asymmetrical fiscal arrangements work in practice in a variety of different countries.
Policy analysts concerned with intergovernmental finance and/or political legitimacy issues will find this synthesis of interest, as will readers concerned with the public policy of the many fiscally fragmented countries profiled here.
Trade Review'. . . the book is coherent and engaging throughout, with each contributor offering the reader valuable insights into the various forces shaping their chosen country of study. . . this is an important book, which will engage and indeed possibly help to define continuing debates in development studies into the future. . . The authors have produced a book which will be of particular interest to policy analysts looking at intergovernmental finance and to those concerned with political legitimacy and governance, especially in relation to the countries profiled here, though it will also prove useful to those looking at issues around globalization and tools used by institutions such as the World Bank in its promotion.' -- BreffnI Lennon, Progress in Development Studies
Table of ContentsContents: Preface PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Subsidiarity, Solidarity and Asymmetry: Aspects of the Problem Richard M. Bird and Robert D. Ebel 2. The Country Studies: Comparisons and Conclusions Richard M. Bird, Robert D. Ebel and Sebastiana Gianci PART II: FEDERAL INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES 3. Reconciling Diversity with Equality: The Role of Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements in Maintaining an Effective State in Canada Richard M. Bird and François Vaillancourt 4. Germany at the Junction Between Solidarity and Subsidiarity Paul Bernd Spahn and Jan Werner 5. Accommodating Asymmetry Through Pragmatism: An Overview of Swiss Fiscal Federalism Bernard Dafflon PART III: NEW FEDERAL COUNTRIES 6. Belgium: A Unique Evolving Federalism Benoît Bayenet and Philippe de Bruycker 7. Fiscal Decentralization in Spain: An Asymmetric Transition to Democracy Teresa Garcia-Milà and Therese J. McGuire PART IV: COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION 8. Asymmetric Federalism in Russia: Cure or Poison? Jorge Martinez-Vazquez 9. Ethnic Minority Regions and Fiscal Decentralization in China: The Promises and Reality of Asymmetric Treatment Christine Wong PART V: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 10. Asymmetric Federalism in India M. Govinda Rao and Nirvikar Singh 11. Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations and State Building: The Case of Indonesia Bambang Brodjonegoro and J. Fitz G. Ford 12. Subsidiarity and Solidarity: Fiscal Decentralization in the Philippines Christine Wallich, Rosario Manasan and Saloua Sehili PART VI: POSTCONFLICT 13. Fiscal Federalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Subsidiarity and Solidarity in a Three-Nation State William Fox and Christine Wallich Index
