ABSTRACT
Region by Region The North In the industrialized countries of the North, the trend towards the decentralization of service delive!)' has been part of the decline in the authority of nation states resulting from several causes:
trade agreements and technological changes have reduced the impact of national boundaries;
2 international authorities have begun to set international standards; 3 capital, goods, and labour have become more mobile across national
boundaries; and 4 international competitive pressures have forced reductions in tax
rates and national regulations.
