Crisis-driven reforms and local discretion: an assessment of Italy and Spain

• Autores: Silvia Bolgherini
• Localización: Rivista italiana di scienza politica, ISSN 0048-8402, ISSN-e 2057-4908, Vol. 46, Nº. 1, 2016, págs. 71-91
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The recent and still enduring global economic and financial crisis deeply impacted the institutional framework in Italy and Spain by prompting a series of reforms, which ultimately re-shaped the local government features. Based on a qualitative comparative analysis of recent reforms, the author shows that (directly and indirectly) crisis-driven provisions have significantly impacted the local levels and changed the central/local relations in both countries. During the years of crisis, a decrease in local discretion in its three main facets (fiscal, administrative, and political/functional) has taken place. This outcome could both allow for a better understanding of how central and local governments have interacted during the crisis and to contribute to the formulation of more general considerations on local discretion and central/local relations in Italy and Spain.