Central Government Patronage and Budget Performance in Local Government

by Open Science Repository Public Administration
(May 2013)

Abstract

Understanding what explains budget performance and credibility in local government (LG) is becoming an increasingly contentious and managerial concern in recently decentralized countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. This study draws from two separate but closely related philosophical underpinning, namely the fiscal federalism theory and fiscal illusion theory, to create understandability of operational antecedents of LG budget performance in such economies. The rationale is to examine linkages between central government patronage (the perceived source of budget performance) and budget performance. The research also lends consideration to the mediating role of entity autonomy in that relationship. Results from a survey of 217 administrators and employees drawn from 18 districts in Uganda indicate that central government patronage positively influences budget performance when mediated by entity autonomy. The findings are discussed with respect to theoretical, empirical and practical implications for LG budgetary activity and performance.

Keywords: local government, budget performance, central government patronage.

Full text

Central Government Patronage and Budget Performance in Local Government.