The Political Economy of Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa

For the past two decades, experiments in decentralization and federalization havebeen developing in Africa, Asia, and the formerly communist states of EasternEurope. Many of the powers previously in the hands of the central governmentor its deconcentrated structures have been transferred to lower government layers.Additionally, local governments are gradually emerging as development actors.Whatever the reasons for decentralization, the transfer of new functions to localgovernments can be substan