Impacts of decentralization : The French experience in a comparative perspective

Abstract

Shifts in competencies between levels of government fundamentally changed public policymaking not only in France – with its two ‘Actes’ of decentralization – but also in a similar vein in Germany and England. The effects of these reforms, however, have so far remained largely understudied. This analysis traces national decentralization strategies and compares their impacts on public service performance in person-related services. The results of the empirical case studies are astonishing, as the often considered unique French case seems to share substantial features with its neighbors: Local government performance is largely determined by the properties of the policy area under consideration the potential to reap synergies between relevant actors at place and the capacity to built up professional expertise at the local level turn out to be decisive factors for the ‘success’ of decentralization as a multi-level governance strategy.