Decentralization, Democracy, and Development

The traditional view of local politics and government in the Philippines is not flattering: elected officials are personalistic faction leaders (or worse, bosses or warlords) interested in parlaying their personal wealth and power rather than promoting good governance. Thus, it could be argued that decentralization by shifting power away from a reforming center to powerful irresponsible local politicians, will harm democracy and development. On the other hand, it could also be argued that decentralization in the political sphere is the equivalent of deregulation and privatization in the economic sphere. By lifting the burden placed on local communities by the central government in Manila, decentralization allows local energy to be channeled into development rather than devoted to maneuvering through a thicket of government rules and regulations.