Intergovernmental transfers play a central role in decentralized fiscal systems; however, their effects on local government behavior remain a subject of theoretical and empirical debate. This study examines the extent to which transferred resources influence municipal spending (flypaper effect) and revenue collection effort (Veil of Oates Hypothesis) in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Using a balanced panel comprising all 417 municipalities in Bahia from 2013 to 2023, panel data models with fixed effects are employed to estimate the impacts of federal and state transfers on municipal expenditures and own-source revenues. The results provide strong evidence of the flypaper effect, indicating that transfers from the Municipal Participation Fund (FPM), the State Tax on the Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS), and the Motor Vehicle Ownership Tax (IPVA) significantly increase municipal spending, particularly among municipalities with lower expenditure levels. Regarding fiscal effort, the findings offer partial support for the Veil of Oates Hypothesis, as FPM transfers reduce own-source revenue primarily in wealthier municipalities. In contrast, ICMS transfers have no significant effect on own-source revenue, whereas IPVA transfers contribute positively to local revenue generation. These findings advance the fiscal federalism literature by demonstrating that the effects of intergovernmental transfers are heterogeneous across municipalities and depend on local fiscal capacity.
El artículo realizó un estudio cuantitativo descriptivo de las finanzas públicas para cinco municipios de la Provincia de Buenos Aires en el periodo 2017-2022. El objetivo fue analizar distintos indicadores de federalismo fiscal y descentralización construidos en base a fuentes oficiales (provincial y municipales) para gobiernos subnacionales. También se analizó cómo el ciclo político influye en las cuentas públicas municipales. Se destacan los siguientes resultados: primero, se observa una tendencia a los déficits presupuestarios frecuentes y a la alta dependencia de la coparticipación provincial. A su vez, los déficits están estrechamente relacionados con el ciclo político. Segundo, la relación entre empleados públicos y población suele ser elevada lo cual implica un mayor esfuerzo de financiamiento por contribuyente bonaerense. Tercero, la coparticipación provincial per cápita muestra progresividad, con mayores fondos a los municipios más chicos. Cuarto, se establece cierta evidencia sobre la existencia del “flypaper effect”.
This article analyzes the reconfiguration of the local agendas of Argentine municipal governments across three stages: the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the management of the health crisis, and the post-pandemic scenario. Drawing on a nationwide empirical study based on semi-structured interviews with senior officials from 123 local governments, it analyzes variations in the hierarchy of local agendas and their relationship with municipal state capacities. The information was processed through thematic coding of references to policies and intervention priorities. The findings show the persistent centrality of the social agenda, a reactive reordering of priorities during the pandemic, and a partial diversification in the post-pandemic stage.
The objective of this research was to analyze the use of e-government in Mexico, considering sociodemographic factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the National Survey on the Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH), binary logistic regression models were applied to identify the factors associated with the use of e-government in its informational and transactional phases. The results show that educational level and socioeconomic status were the most relevant predictors in all years and phases. Associations were also found with age, area of residence, and gender. Taken together, the findings indicate that sociodemographic factors have a differentiated impact on the use of e-government, and that these inequalities persisted and even intensified during the pandemic. Accordingly, these findings reflect the urgent need to develop comprehensive public policies on digital inclusion and government digitization.
Based on the second-generation fiscal federalism theory and the quality of public finance approach, this study examines the effect of fee revenues on municipal economic growth in Jalisco. A panel data model is employed, complemented by descriptive analysis through scatter plots and quadrant matrices, while accounting for differences in municipal population size. The results indicate that fee revenues have a positive impact on municipal economic growth, and that, regardless of population size, a favorable relationship prevails between the two variables. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening local fee collection as a mechanism for resource allocation that promotes economic growth.
This article seeks to analyse city branding strategies in the Argentine context, based on the case of Tandil, reflecting on the role played by the promotion of citizen participation in this initiative. It starts from the premise that, although these tools were initially designed from a classic marketing approach, they are now conceived as a local public policy for promoting the territory, whose legitimacy and sustainability are based on processes of citizen involvement. The construction of the Tandil brand demonstrates a participatory space that permeated the different stages of work, the implementation of sectoral and citizen consultations, and the need to diversify and deepen participatory mechanisms to strengthen the city brand as public policy.
The article conducted a descriptive quantitative study of public finances for five municipalities in the province of Buenos Aires during the period 2017-2022. The objective was to analyze various indicators of fiscal federalism and decentralization based on official sources (provincial and municipal) for subnational governments, while examining how the political cycle influences municipal public accounts. The following results stand out. First, there is a trend of frequent budget deficits and a high dependence on provincial revenue sharing. At the same time, the deficits are closely related to the political cycle, where the likelihood of their occurrence is high. Second, the ratio of public employees to population is usually high, which implies a greater financial burden per citizen of Buenos Aires. Third, provincial revenue sharing per capita shows progressivity, with more funds going to smaller municipalities. Fourth, certain evidence is established regarding the existence of the 'Flypaper Effect.'
This research examines the factors that influence municipal innovation in addressing public issues of a moral nature, focusing on the creation of the Office of Non-Discrimination and Diversity in Providencia in 2013. Through semi-structured interviews and document reviews, eight factors were identified that can either facilitate or hinder innovation, depending on the institutional context. The findings indicate that political leadership, financial capacity, values, and a favorable public opinion climate - by reducing the political costs associated with promoting polarizing initiatives - were crucial to implementation. Therefore, the sustainability of local innovations in moral policies is closely linked to electoral volatility and the prevailing ideologies of the authorities.
The objective of this paper is to address the planning and management of an urban rail project promoted by the city council of Santa Fe (Argentina) between 2007 and 2019. It had to use national infrastructure, which led into a complex permit application. Furthermore, there was limited support from the provincial government and mechanical failures in the vehicles purchased by the council, all factors that led to the failure of the public policy. The work was made using a qualitative methodological approach and it based on several research techniques. The article appeal to the concept of state capacity and its analytical dimensions to interpret the findings as consequences of poor inter-institutional coordination.
Drought and water scarcity are distinct but interrelated phenomena with profound impacts on rural areas. While drought is a response to meteorological conditions, scarcity depends on institutional decisions regarding water use. In Chile, the Coquimbo Region is an emblematic case of prolonged water crisis, where the centralization of the water model limits local response capacity. This study analyzes the perceptions, beliefs, and opinions of mayors in the Coquimbo Region on water governance in contexts of drought and scarcity, with the aim of identifying the scope for municipal action. A qualitative study was developed based on semi-structured interviews with mayors in the region. The analysis was organized into thematic categories related to centralization, governance, and participation, coded using qualitative analysis procedures. The findings show that mayors have a critical perception of the centralized water management model, highlighting the lack of municipal powers and limited coordination with community entities. Similarities are identified with international experiences where decentralization lacks effective resources. The study provides novel empirical evidence on the limitations of the Chilean water governance model and contributes to the comparative academic debate on decentralization. It underscores the need to strengthen local capacities in order to enhance adaptive responses to prolonged water crises.
This article proposes an integrated conceptual framework to analyze public innovation processes in local governments across Latin America, articulating three key dimensions: public innovation, state capacities, and governance. Based on a theoretical literature review, the article addresses a central problem: the need to generate effective and context-sensitive institutional responses to complex public challenges in settings marked by structural inequalities and uneven capacities. It examines contemporary models of innovation (linear, continuous, open), distinguishes between pre-existing and innovation-specific state capacities (including ambidextrous capacities), and explores collaborative, multilevel, and smart governance arrangements as enabling environments. The article concludes that a joint analysis of these dimensions offers a useful lens to interpret how public innovations are produced, sustained, or frustrated at the local level, and provides conceptual tools for their comparative study.
The aim of this article is to define how taxation powers are distributed in the Mexican federal system and to identify the impact of the federal transfer scheme on local development in Oaxaca. Although actions have been promoted to strengthen municipal finances, inequalities remain in the national territory and in the case of Oaxaca's municipalities, conditions of underdevelopment and poverty persist. Using an econometric probability model, the impact of the federal transfer scheme on local development in Oaxaca is calculated. The results show that federal contributions have a negative impact on municipal development, while participations favor development.
This article analyzes the institutional development of the Internal Control Organ (OIC) in the municipality of Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico, based on a collaborative citizen evaluation conducted between 2023 and 2024. Employing a qualitative methodology and the contextual adaptation of an evaluation instrument previously validated in similar municipal contexts, key aspects of the OIC are assessed, including its normative framework, allocated resources, operational performance, transparency, and citizen participation. The selection of Saucillo is explicitly justified by three fundamental criteria: its empirical representativeness of medium-sized Mexican municipalities, its early and explicit political willingness to engage in citizen-led evaluation exercises, and its theoretical pertinence for exploring principles of collaborative governance. Findings indicate institutional progress in internal regulation, basic transparency, and overall institutional openness toward improvement. However, challenges were identified, particularly related to legal harmonization, staff professionalization, effective whistleblower protection, and the concrete implementation of systematic citizen participation mechanisms. Specific recommendations are provided to address these challenges, emphasizing the replicability of the Saucillo case, explicitly validated by the recent engagement of Chihuahua's state capital in this collaborative evaluation process.
In 2017 the administration of public schools was transferred from municipalities to the Central Government through 21,040 Law creating the Local Services of Public Education (SLEP). Nowadays there is no a study that measures the impact of this public policy over the attainment of schools and students. So, in this work I try to measure the impact using data form National Agency of Quality Education and with the methodologies of propensity score matching and difference in difference (DiD). In general there is a negative impact in the achievement of schools and students due the change in the administration, however, in some cases there is a positive impact.
Budgetary opacity is an indication of deficiencies in the integrity of local governance. Nevertheless, in Chile, there is still a lack of empirical studies examining the factors that influence it. Using indicators from the Council for Transparency, Social Observatory, Electoral Service, and National Municipal Information System, this study employs a fixed effects model and a logistic model to identify political, demographic, and political leadership variables associated with levels of budget transparency. The results indicate that municipalities with high poverty levels, lower rates of higher education, and higher debt perform worse, in contrast to those with female mayors, higher levels of higher education, larger populations, and a higher percentage of votes received by the mayor in the previous election.
The study examines Results-Based Management through Management Improvement Programs in 72 municipalities in Biobio, & Ntilde;uble, and Araucania (2023-2024). With 137 documents reviewed, consistency, structure, and alignment of objectives and indicators with strategic planning were evaluated. Marked disparities were evident: only 26 % of municipalities showed full alignment, and only 11 % of indicators measure gradual progress. Low-quality indicators predominated, limiting effective monitoring and evaluation. Although PMGs strengthen accountability, their impact is uneven due to structural and resource gaps. It is recommended that indicators and criteria be adapted to local realities, promoting more efficient, equitable, and accountable management to drive sustainable and measurable results.
Este artículo analiza el desarrollo institucional del Órgano Interno de Control (OIC) del municipio de Saucillo, Chihuahua, México, mediante una evaluación ciudadana colaborativa realizada entre 2023 y 2024. A partir de una metodología cualitativa y la adaptación contextual de un instrumento validado previamente en contextos municipales similares, se examinan aspectos clave del OIC como su marco normativo, recursos asignados, desempeño operativo, transparencia y participación ciudadana. La selección de Saucillo responde a tres criterios fundamentales: su representatividad empírica respecto a municipios medianos mexicanos, su voluntad explícita y temprana para colaborar en ejercicios de evaluación ciudadana y su pertinencia teórica para explorar principios de gobernanza colaborativa. Los resultados revelan avances institucionales en normatividad interna, transparencia básica y disposición general hacia la mejora institucional. Sin embargo, también evidencian desafíos relacionados con la armonización legal, la profesionalización del personal, la protección efectiva de denunciantes y la implementación concreta de mecanismos de participación ciudadana sistemática. Se proponen recomendaciones específicas para fortalecer estas áreas, enfatizando la relevancia replicativa del caso, validada explícitamente por la reciente incorporación del municipio capitalino del estado de Chihuahua a este mismo proceso evaluativo colaborativo.
El objetivo de este artículo es definir la manera como se distribuyen las potestades tributarias en el sistema federal mexicano e identificar el impacto del esquema de transferencias federales sobre el desarrollo local de Oaxaca. A pesar de que se han promovido acciones para fortalecer las haciendas municipales, aún permanecen desigualdades en el territorio nacional y, en el caso particular de los municipios de Oaxaca, persisten condiciones de subdesarrollo y pobreza. Mediante un modelo econométrico de probabilidades se determinó la incidencia del esquema de transferencias federales en el desarrollo local de Oaxaca. Se trata de un modelo de corte transversal para el año 2020. Los resultados muestran que las aportaciones federales tienen una incidencia negativa sobre el desarrollo municipal, mientras que las participaciones favorecen el desarrollo.
Este artículo propone un marco conceptual integrado para analizar los procesos de innovación pública en gobiernos locales de América Latina, articulando tres dimensiones clave: la innovación pública propiamente dicha, las capacidades estatales y la gobernanza. El trabajo se inscribe en una estrategia metodológica de revisión teórica, y parte del reconocimiento de un problema central: la necesidad de generar respuestas institucionales eficaces y contextualizadas frente a desafíos públicos complejos, en escenarios marcados por desigualdades estructurales y capacidades desiguales. Se examinan los modelos contemporáneos de innovación (lineal, permanente, abierta), se distinguen capacidades estatales preexistentes y específicas (incluidas las capacidades ambidiestras), y se abordan formas de gobernanza colaborativa, multinivel e inteligente como entramados habilitantes. El artículo concluye que el análisis conjunto de estas dimensiones permite interpretar con mayor profundidad cómo se producen, sostienen o fracasan las innovaciones públicas en el nivel local, y ofrece herramientas conceptuales útiles para su estudio comparado.
El presente trabajo analiza tres procesos de planificación urbana participativa de una ciudad turística intermedia de la Patagonia central argentina —Puerto Madryn, en la provincia de Chubut—, que sucedieron entre 1996 y 2019. A través de la reconstrucción de sus metodologías y equipos de trabajo, la caracterización de las formas de participación y las principales problemáticas identificadas en los diagnósticos y los modelos urbanos finales, se pone en discusión el lugar de la planificación urbana y la participación social, el lugar del contexto profesional e ideológico de los procesos, así como también qué sucedió con los modelos en clave local. Se pudieron identificar diferencias y similitudes en los procesos, en cuyo corolario se da cuenta de procesos cada vez más profesionalizados y pragmáticos por parte de los equipos de diseño y una participación comunitaria paulatinamente menos masiva y más interesada, cuyos resultados finales fueron similares.Finalmente, la exploración realizada, con un análisis espacial de los modelos urbanos producidos, permitió confirmar la similitud de sus resultados, pero también cómo las grandes diferencias fueron fruto de la cristalización de intereses de los propietarios de la tierra locales.
