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Decentralization has been a significant trend in governance and economic development in many countries over the past few decades. It involves the transfer of decision-making power from central authorities to local governments, allowing for greater participation and involvement of citizens in the democratic process. In response to the demands of ethnic and national diversity, federalism required a unique and robust institutional design. Decentralization became an institutional design that catered for a distinct way of conceptualizing the sharing of powers. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the impact of decentralization on economic growth and democratic governance. The issue of local autonomy wherein the local governments can act independently requires answering multifaceted questions about whether decentralization will yield the desired results. The article explores the two imperative aspects of decentralization. It first explores the meaning and definition of decentralization and its desired objective. Both India and the Republic of Korea (ROK) provide insights into these questions and highlight the stages of democratization at various governance levels. While doing so, the variations in the extent and effectiveness of decentralization reforms in these two countries due to differences in their political, economic, and social contexts are kept in mind, as it seeks to explore the impact of decentralization in India and South Korea, two countries that have undergone significant decentralization reforms.
