Decentralization is often thought to improve public services. However, recent work challenges this view as many governments reverse decentralization policies.

Vietnam provides a unique case study by piloting the abolition of elected councils across 99 districts while carefully stratifying regions and settings.

This quasi-experiment allows testing core hypotheses about local governance effectiveness.

Our analysis finds that returning authority to central control significantly improved service delivery in key areas like transportation, healthcare, and communications — especially where central policy priorities lie.