Does Decentralization Increase Government Responsiveness to Local Needs? Evidence from Bolivia
38 Pages Posted: 16 Feb 2001
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Does Decentralization Increase Government Responsiveness to Local Needs? Evidence from Bolivia
Date Written: August 28, 2002
Abstract
This paper examines whether decentralization increases the responsiveness of public investment to local needs using a unique database from Bolivia. Empirical tests show that investment patterns in human capital and social services changed significantly after decentralization. These changes are strongly and positively related to objective indicators of need. Nationally, these changes were driven by the smallest, poorest municipalities investing devolved funds in their highest-priority projects. The findings contradict common claims that local government is too corrupt, institutionally weak, or prone to interest-group capture to improve upon central government's allocation of public resources.
Keywords: decentralization, local government, participation, targeting, Bolivia
JEL Classification: D72, D73, H41, H42, H72, O18
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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