This is the Second Global Report on Decentralization and Local Democracy (GOLD II). While the first annual report provided an overview of local government systems around the world, GOLD II
focuses on a specific aspect of decentralization: the fiscal architecture and performance of local governments. The report describes the challenges that local government face in providing
services and offers recommendations for regional and global policy reforms. An introduction overviews concepts of local governments, the fiscal system, and the global reality of local
government finance systems. The next part of the book presents material on seven global regions. The final section concentrates on special circumstances of metropolitan areas across regions. A
conclusion recommends reforms. The report is visually accessible with chapter-opening b&w illustrations, margin notes, case boxes, and easy-to-read statistical tables. Annotation 穢2012 Book
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