Sharing Power and Loving it
Some years ago, Paul Goble told me his second city theory. It went like this — countries that had a thriving second city other than the capital were better off than those who put everything in one place. Of course, this was what we wanted to hear in Tartu.
But he may have been onto something. EU Observer reports on a Swiss study about the link between centralized authority and growth. the conclusion - countries with more decentralized authority tend to be more prosperous.
And the most centralized countries in Europe?`
The country ranking as most centralised was EU newcomer Bulgaria, followed by the Baltic states, Greece, Croatia, Norway, Ireland, Denmark and France.
And the most decentralized?
At the other end of the scale, Switzerland – famous for deciding almost everything by referendum - ranked first, followed by Germany, Belgium, Spain, Austria and Italy.
I am not surprised that the Baltics are at the top of the list. But I wonder if people here realize that this is not the norm, and that it may not be optimal. Interesting thought.