During recent years the financing of local government has become a key issue in developed countries. This book, originally published in 1988 looks at attempts to reform local finance in the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Norway, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. Case studies of attempts to bolster or reform local government finance cover a wide range of leading industrialised economies. These are preceded by theoretical chapters on the nature of fiscal federalism and fiscal crises, followed by an international overview of local taxing and spending.

Stephen Bailey is Emeritus Professor of public sector economics at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Ronan Paddison (1945-2019) was closely associated with the journal Urban Studies and instrumental in establishing the Urban Studies Foundation. He was Editor-in-Chief of the journal Space and Polity.