Comparative Multilevel Governance: Subnational Governments in Latin America from a Comparative Perspective

What is the influence of different multilevel governance architectures on the provision of infrastructural powers? Multilevel governance corresponds [i] to the vertical distribution of decisions and responsibilities between territorial spheres of government, or [ii] polycentric relationships among different agents. In this work, the focus is on vertical [Type I], and polycentric models [Type II] are outside the scope of this study. Only the vertical subnational perspective will be considered, which can be associated with federalism, decentralization in administrative, fiscal and political dimensions or the scale of authority exercised by subnational governments. The result is the construction of a scale and typology of multilevel governance in the region, considering the influence on government “infrastructural powers” and, subsequently, indicators of and effective territorial penetration.

Keywords: multilevel governance; federalism; subnational government; infrastructural powers

Marenco, André. Comparative Multilevel Governance: Subnational Governments in Latin America from a Comparative Perspective. Encyclopedia, v. 6, p. 1-20, 2026.

DOI:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/6/5/96