Applying a Simple Measure of Good Governance to the Debate on Fiscal Decentralization

Bibliographic Data

ID19941983
AuthorsAnwar Shah (0000-0001-9397-5648), Jeff Huther
Year1999
Publication date1999-11-30
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueWorld Bank policy research working paper (OTHER)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1813-9450
PublisherThe World Bank (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1596/1813-9450-1894
OpenAlexW1816911305
LanguageEN
Citations received33
References cited7

No AccessPolicy Research Working Papers21 Jun 2013Applying a Simple Measure of Good Governance to the Debate on Fiscal DecentralizationAuthors/Editors: Anwar Shah and Jeff HutherAnwar Shah and Jeff Hutherhttps://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-1894SectionsAboutPDF (0.1 MB) ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Abstract:March 1998 Applying an index for the quality of governance reveals a surprisingly strong positive correlation between fiscal decentralization and quality of governance. Debates about the appropriate role, policies, and institutions of the state are often hampered by the lack of a definition for good government. To provide a quantifiable measure of good government, Huther and Shah develop an index for the quality of governance for a sample of 80 countries. They apply the index to the debate on the appropriate level of fiscal decentralization. In measuring the quality of governance, the authors develop indices for the government?s ability to: ° Ensure political transparency and a voice for all citizens (the citizen participation index measures political freedom and political stability). ° Provide effective public services efficiently (the government orientation index measures judicial and bureaucratic efficiency and the absence of corruption). ° Promote the health and well-being of its citizens (the social development index measures human development and equitable distribution of income). ° Create a favorable climate for stable economic growth (the economic management index measures outward orientation, independence of the central bank, and an inverted debt-to-GDP ratio). In relating the index of governance quality to degree of fiscal decentralization for the 80 countries, Huther and Shah are not surprised to find a positive relationship between fiscal decentralization and quality of governance. But the strength of the correlation is surprising. This paper-a product of Country Evaluation and Regional Relations Division, Operations Evaluation Department-is part of a larger effort in the department to examine the role of the authorizing environment in public sector performance. Previous bookNext book FiguresreferencesRecommendeddetailsCited byTransparency and corruption: Measuring real transparency by a new indexRegulation & Governance, Vol.17, No.415 November 2022The Quality of Governance and Its Impact on FDI Inflows. A Comparative Study of EU Member StatesComparative Economic Research. Central and Eastern Europe, Vol.26, No.329 September 2023Transparent government based on Nahj al-Balagha and social trust among Muslim citizensHTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, Vol.79, No.131 January 2023Thrive, survive, or perish: The impact of regional autonomy on the demographic dynamics of Italian Alpine territoriesJournal of Regional Science, Vol.62, No.521 August 2022Governance of financial management and regulation-based fiscal accountabilityJournal of Governance and Regulation, Vol.11, No.212 April 2022INSTITUTITONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THEORETHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF MISSED INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIAPravni vjesnik, Vol.37, No.3-41 December 2021Tác động của hiệu quả quản trị nhà nước đến thu hút vốn đầu tư trực tiếp nước ngoài ở các quốc gia Đông Nam ÁCan Tho University Journal of Science, Vol.57, No.530 October 2021VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLETION OF UKRAINIAN ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL SYSTEM REFORM: SOLUTIONS AND FORMATION OF DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMSGEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM, No.621 January 2021Fiscal Decentralization and Government Corruption: Evidence from U.S. StatesPublic Integrity, Vol.22, No.24 February 2019Towards Human Values, Ethics and Positive Emotion in Good Governance: A Reliability Test of Good Governance Index Model19 August 2020Disaster Risk Reduction in Post-Decentralisation Indonesia: Institutional Arrangements and Changes3 May 2017Estimating the direct costs of social conflicts: Road blockings in BoliviaJournal of International Development, Vol.21, No.7Descentralization and Good Governance in ColombiaSSRN Electronic JournalDecentralisation and poverty reduction in Africa: the politics of local–central relationsPublic Administration and Development, Vol.23, No.14 February 2003 View Published: November 1999 Copyright & Permissions Related RegionsAfricaLatin America & CaribbeanRelated CountriesCzech RepublicIndonesiaUgandaRelated TopicsFinance and Financial Sector DevelopmentGovernanceMacroeconomics and Economic GrowthPrivate Sector Development KeywordsACCOUNTABILITYAUTHORITYCITIZEN PARTICIPATIONCITIZENSCORRUPTIONDEMOCRACYFEDERALISMFISCALFISCAL DECENTRALIZATIONFISCAL POLICYGOOD GOVERNANCEGOVERNANCE DIMENSIONGOVERNMENTGOVERNMENTSINDEPENDENCENATIONSPUBLIC INVESTMENTPUBLIC SECTORSTATETRANSPARENCY PDF DownloadLoading

Business · Corporate governance · Decentralization · Economic system · Economics · Good governance · Government (linguistics) · Index (typography) · Language change · Market economy · Political science · Politics · Public economics · Transparency (behavior) · Corruption and Economic Development · Finance · Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth · Local Government Finance and Decentralization

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