Local government fragmentation refers to the fact that local governments are broken into many, often overlapping jurisdictions. In aggregate, local governments spend a great deal of money. It is reasonable to ask if the public’s interest would be better served through improved coordination of government at the local level. Information-age approaches for improving the financial performance of government through networked enterprises and government as a platform can enhance coordination and provide many services and financial benefits, but there is one disadvantage of local government fragmentation: resource inequities among local governments, also known as “fiscal disparities.”

• Publication date: June 2021
• Author: Shayne Kavanagh