UDTR — Radar mondial des droits de la Nature

Decentralization, Local Government Capacity, and Regional Development Outcomes in the Global South: An Integrative Literature Review

Identification

Clé publique

radar:r-fe9e387856925c639befb418ea308142

Auteurs

Edio Mariano Piedade Soares

Année déclarée

2026

Langue déclarée

en

Type source

preprint

Première détection

2026-11-14T02:15:07.163200+00:00

Dernière observation des métadonnées

2026-11-14T02:15:07.163200+00:00

Dernière vérification HTTP

Non effectuée

Institutions déclarées par la source

Hasanuddin University

Pays d’affiliation déclarés

ID

Résumé documentaire — langue originale

Abstract Purpose – Decentralization has long been promoted as a route to more responsive government and more balanced regional development, yet the empirical evidence remains fragmented across disciplines and contexts. This article integrates research on how decentralization and local government capacity shape regional development outcomes in the Global South, and it specifies the conditions under which they do so. Design/methodology/approach – We conducted an integrative literature review of foundational and recent scholarship drawn from economics, political science, public administration and regional studies. Literature was identified through Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar and through citation chaining, and was analyzed thematically against an input–process–outcome framework. Findings – The evidence does not support an unconditional link between decentralization and development. Gains are most consistently reported where fiscal responsibilities are matched by revenue autonomy and hard budget constraints, where local administrative capacity is adequate to the functions assigned, and where electoral, informational and civil-society channels make local officials answerable to citizens. Where these conditions are absent, decentralization is associated with elite capture, uneven service delivery and widening interregional disparities. We integrate these results into a conditional framework. Research limitations/implications – As an integrative rather than systematic review, the study does not claim exhaustive coverage, and its selection involves interpretive judgment. The framework yields five propositions for future testing. Practical implications – Reform design should sequence fiscal, administrative and political decentralization, tie transfers to capacity-building, and strengthen transparency and equalization mechanisms. Originality/value – The article integrates economic, political-science and public-administration literatures into a single mechanism-oriented framework and derives testable propositions on when and why decentralization delivers development.

Identifiants

OPENALEX

https://openalex.org/W7223015365

DOI

10.21203/rs.3.rs-11423710/v1

Repères documentaires

Famille documentaire

preprint

Types déclarés par les sources

preprint

Les mentions d’entités ne constituent pas une preuve de reconnaissance juridique. La juridiction étudiée est distincte du pays d’affiliation des auteurs.

Sources

OpenAlex · Document 1

• Document · https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-11423710/v1

Statut documentaire

Pertinence à examiner

Bibliothèque

Cette identité n’est pas encore intégrée à la Bibliothèque juridique.