Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this graduate-level, readings-based course on how governments in developing countries structure and finance regional and local public services. Topics include the role of fiscal decentralization in national economic reform, how devolving authority to local governments affects local economic development, how fiscal responsibilities should be divided among national, regional, and municipal levels, and how to evaluate local revenue and expenditure decisions. The course weighs these questions primarily through economic analysis, while also considering political, institutional, and cultural constraints that shape real-world reform options. Materials consist of an assigned reading list and case discussions rather than recorded lectures, drawing on comparative examples of decentralization programs across developing nations. It suits students of economics, public policy, or urban planning who want a framework for assessing intergovernmental fiscal arrangements. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all materials are free and there is no certificate.