Crossing traditions

SIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel W 48 (66) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Public finance and Finanzwissenschaft traditions compared

SIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel W 624 (82) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

The sustainability of local government finances in England, Germany and the Netherlands: the impact of intergovernmental regulatory regimes

De Widt investigates how local government financial sustainability is influenced by the regulatory framework in which local governments operate. Applying a comparative constitutional approach, the chapter analyzes the regulatory regimes on local finances in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. The regimes are investigated by concentrating on the impact of fiscal rules, and the monitoring structures in place to impose their implementation. Special attention is paid to the institutional arrangements that apply to non-compliant local authorities. The author demonstrates that growing local financial stress is partly met by regulators with a relaxation of fiscal rules, carrying considerable risks for the sustainability of local and intergovernmental finances. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations on how to improve the robustness of the regulatory regimes that govern local finances