ABSTRACT
Variation across regions shows no sign of declining over time. Some countries have no regional level (defined as a level of government between the local and the national with an average population greater than 150,000). Others have authoritative regional governments that play a decisive role not only in their respective regions but also in the country as a whole. Of the 42 countries in our dataset, eight have no regional tier, 17 have a single tier, 16 have two regional tiers, and one, Germany, has three.1 The standard deviation in country scores is as great in 2006 as it was in 1950.2 There has been no convergence in regional government but, rather, continuing and wide divergence.
