POST-EVENT

The intergovernmental finance and relations of European states developed as they did for many reasons, but none evolved to face the combination of fiscal crisis and austerity that they have seen since 2008. Under the shock of revenue loss, increased welfare state demands, and political pressures to cut budgets, the design of intergovernmental finance and relations has been placed under unexpected strains and had unexpected effects. In this paper, the lecturer compares the experience of Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom, examining the ways in which the system of intergovernmental relations and finance has shaped the economic and social pressures. It looks at how the allocation of funds and tax bases affected expenditure, distributional consequences, and political contestation in the three countries.

Scott L. Greer (Ph.D., Political Science 2003) is Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health; before coming to Michigan, he taught at University College London. His research focus is policymaking in advanced industrial democracies, with special focus on the role of federalism, territorial politics, and supranational integration in health and the welfare state.

The event was held on the Cidade Universitária and was sponsored by CEM and the PPG in Political Science/USP.