The problem with defining core services

Abstract

One of the fundamental challenges faced by those who design governance systems involves determining at which level of government public decisions should be made, and whether the decisions are overwhelmingly political, managerial, technical, or should be left for citizens to make themselves. When designing democratic systems one of the critical considerations is ensuring that decision-making power is well distributed to avoid risks to citizens’ liberty. These questions are currently on the minds of people involved with local government.