Brad Sallows
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 8,404
- Points
- 1,040
Can't really discuss the major difficulties of any province without discussing the feds because of the amount of money in transfers.
Where powers are divided, federal governments (not just here) offer money to entice lower levels of government to do things in the latters' areas of responsibility on terms the former dictate. There can be no guarantee the transfers will be sufficient in perpetuity.
This division creates poor incentives. The lowers constantly badger their upper for more money, but the upper has not much control over how well the lowers manage the money and the lowers insist on protecting their turf; the upper is reluctant to be on the hook without control. Something analogous to "responsibility without authority" results ("financial responsibility without authority"?). I would have thought the perils of those situations would be Poli Sci 001 material, understood and respected and avoided by all the bright people with advanced degrees from prestigious institutions who are running things.
Where powers are divided, federal governments (not just here) offer money to entice lower levels of government to do things in the latters' areas of responsibility on terms the former dictate. There can be no guarantee the transfers will be sufficient in perpetuity.
This division creates poor incentives. The lowers constantly badger their upper for more money, but the upper has not much control over how well the lowers manage the money and the lowers insist on protecting their turf; the upper is reluctant to be on the hook without control. Something analogous to "responsibility without authority" results ("financial responsibility without authority"?). I would have thought the perils of those situations would be Poli Sci 001 material, understood and respected and avoided by all the bright people with advanced degrees from prestigious institutions who are running things.