Research14 min read
Fiscal Federalism and Local Accountability: A Field Study
Ongoing research on how intergovernmental transfers affect the accountability of local governments.
- Fiscal Federalism
- Accountability
- Field Work
This project examines a reform that changed how central transfers are allocated to municipalities. By comparing municipalities on either side of an eligibility threshold, it estimates the causal effect of fiscal autonomy on local accountability.
Fieldwork combines administrative budget data with interviews conducted with local officials and civil-society organisations. Preliminary results suggest that greater own-source revenue is associated with more responsive service delivery.
The paper is in progress; this page summarises the design and early findings. Comments are very welcome.