Devolution from prefectures to municipalities and its influences on fiscal relationships between local governments in Japan

DOI IR Web Site Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 道府県から市町村への権限移譲と財政的地方政府間関係 <論文>
  • 道府県から市町村への権限移譲と財政的地方政府間関係
  • ドウフケン カラ シチョウソン エ ノ ケンゲンイジョウ ト ザイセイテキ チホウ セイフ カン カンケイ

Search this article

Abstract

With the revision of Local Autonomy Act in 2000, it became to be possible to transfer administrative works of prefectures into municipalities. The grants for devolution accompany such transfer. They represent the degree of devolution from prefectures into municipalities. According to our research on 44 prefectures out of 47, the grants for devolution amount to 7.6 billion yen in total, 170 million yen a prefecture. This paper intends to analyze the influences of the transfer on fiscal relationships between local governments. Although the amount of the grants is very small compared with the total public expenditure, we could find out some interesting points. It is "the smaller prefectures" in the ratio of prefecture net expenditure to municipal one that are positive in devolution. Tendency to transfer administrative works depends on the degree of the merger of municipalities in 2000's. The prefectures where it has progressed are smaller in the ratio of prefecture net expenditure to municipal one and have tendency to transfer their works to municipalities. The public finances are generally sound not only of the prefectures which are positive in devolution but also of the municipalities which belong to such prefectures. But this would implicate that (1) the harder the public finance, the less the devolution from prefectures to municipalities, (2) the devolution would mark time as the merger of municipalities has come to almost the end of the present stage.

Journal

  • 地域経済研究

    地域経済研究 22 3-21, 2011-03

    広島大学大学院社会科学研究科附属地域経済システム研究センター

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top