Decentralization – the best way to tackle corruption?

Decentralization is a hot topic right now. In Ukraine, it has been proposed as a means of giving greater autonomy to the Russian-speaking regions in the East of the country – a gentle concession to Moscow’s current belligerent posturing. Iraq continues to debate the merits of moving towards a federal system as a way to counter the corrosive sectarian violence which has crippled the country for the past decade. And in Lebanon the idea is firmly back on the table after President Sleiman last week unveiled a bill which would devolve greater financial and decision-making authority to regional councils. Decentralization is designed with various goals in mind. Among these are increased efficiency as resources are allocated by those with a better understanding of local needs and upping social mobilization as citizens play more of a direct role. Moreover, in deeply divided societies, decentralization – or its big brother, federalism –