Most recent analysts suggest that many local governments are facing serious fiscal difficulties. This article contains reviews of the experience of nine nations, between 1976 and 1982, in terms of the impact of slow economic growth on local expenditures, particularly in terms of changes in...

One of the reasons for the paucity of comparative studies of central - local government relations is the absence of a common set of terms and concepts which may form the basis for comparison. Commonly used terms, such as 'centralisation' and 'decentralisation', are highly ambiguous. In order...