Fiscal Decentralization and Budget Control explores possible institutional solutions to fiscal instability in countries that have traditionally been caught up in problems of over-expenditure and over-indebtedness. How can governments control spending pressure from influential groups, often representing historically grown regional interests? Drawing on a mix of statistical analyses and case studies in institutional theory, the book provides new insights on previous stabilizations in Latin America and facilitates a better understanding of common dynamics of deficits and debt accumulation.