Central-Local Relations in Asia-Pacific: Convergence or Divergence?

A source of perennial tension in states is the degree to which decision-making power and authority should be concentrated in central institutions and individuals. At present the conventional wisdom of central-local relations has swung in favor of decentralization. There is a convergence towards decentralized models of governance. This book investigates whether such convergence is taking place by examining several countries in the Asia-Pacific. The results of the survey reveal a complex picture in which divergence is still evident in the region's patterns of central-local relations.