Half a Century of Local Decentralization in Ibero-America
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This article provides an analytical assessment of half a century of local-level decentralization in Ibero-America, situating the process within the context of democratic transitions, the reorganization of political systems, and the redefinition of intergovernmental relations. It is based on the premise that local government decentralization should be examined as a multidimensional process in which political, administrative, and fiscal dimensions do not necessarily evolve simultaneously or coherently. The central hypothesis is that, although decentralization reforms strengthened the political legitimacy of the local level and expanded its policy agendas, they did not lead to a sustained strengthening of local autonomy in administrative and fiscal terms. Methodologically, the article adopts a regional comparative perspec tive, drawing on a critical review of the specialized literature and a reconstruction of the main institutional milestones in the decentralization process. The analysis shows that persistent territorial asymmetries, weak local state capacities, and shortcomings in intergovernmental coordination explain the structurally constrained nature of decentralization. The article concludes that local-level decentralization remains an unfinished agenda, marked by unresolved tensions and pending challenges, an understanding of which is essential for rethinking the role of local governments in contemporary Ibero-American political systems.
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