IDEAGOV, the International Center for Decentralization and Governance, based at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain) is envisioned as a global hub for cutting-edge research and policy dialogue on decentralization, governance, and federalism—both within the European Union and worldwide.
Building on the foundations of DERNET - Political and Fiscal Decentralization Network, IDEAGOV enhances its capacity to lead interdisciplinary research and foster collaboration among economists, political scientists, and geographers.
The center will continue to host a dedicated division focused on Spanish national decentralization and governance (RIFDE - Red de Investigadores en Financiación Autonómica y Descentralización Financiera en España), while DERNET is absorbed into IDEAGOV.
News
21 jul 2026
On 18 September 2026, IDEAGOV will hold the IDEAGOV-LOCAL 2026 meeting at the Pazo de Mariñán (Bergondo, A Coruña). This year's edition will focus to the analysis of municipalities' participation in regional revenues (PICA) and the reoform of the Galician Local Administration Law (LALGA). The event will bring together leading academics, policymakers and institutional representatives to discuss the legal, financial and governance implications of the proposed reform, fostering dialogue between...
IDEAGOV Local 2026 - Reform of Local Government Financing System
15 jul 2026
A new contribution to the IDEAGOV Working Paper Series examines one of the most pressing long-term challenges facing European public finances: population ageing. In "The Impact of Population Ageing on Public Finances in the EU-27", María Cadaval-Sampedro, Santiago Lago-Peñas, Xoaquín Fernández-Leiceaga and Alejandro Domínguez-Lamela (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela) analyse how demographic change affects age-related public expenditure across the European Union. Using data from the 27...
New Working Paper in the IDEAGOV Working Paper Series
29 jun 2026
A new contribution to the IDEAGOV Working Paper Series investigates the role of political and technocratic actors in shaping citizens’ attitudes towards public policies. In “Technocratic vs Partisan Framing in Regional Fiscal Politics: Experimental Evidence from Spain”, María Cadaval-Sampedro, Santiago Lago-Peñas, Xoaquín Fernández-Leiceaga and Alejandro Domínguez-Lamela (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela) analyse how the source of a policy proposal influences public opinion in a...
New Working Paper in the IDEAGOV Working Paper Series
22 jun 2026
The latest addition to the IDEAGOV Working Paper Series explores how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped electoral behaviour and political accountability across different systems of government. The paper, entitled “Who's in Charge? Understanding Rallying and Accountability in the COVID-19 Pandemic”, is authored by Ignacio Lago (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) and Santiago Lago-Peñas (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela). The paper investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced electoral behaviour...
New Working Paper in the IDEAGOV Working Paper Series
9 mar 2026
The International Conference on Democracy and Global Governance successfully concluded, bringing together leading international scholars and institutional representatives to reflect on the most pressing challenges facing contemporary democracies. Organized by IDEAGOV and Foro Economico de Galicia, the Conference provided a high-level forum for the analysis of political polarisation, institutional resilience, and the global reconfiguration of governance. The opening session featured...
International Conference on Democracy and Global Governance Concludes Successfully in Santiago de Compostela
IDEAGOV
International Center for Decentralization and Governance
Conferences and Workshops
IDEAGOV hosts high-level academic events, including international conferences and specialized workshops that foster exchange among scholars and practitioners. Outcomes are published in special issues of peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. The center also maintains a dedicated working paper series to promote early-stage research.
Research Projects
IDEAGOV leads and contributes to major research initiatives funded by the European Union and other international bodies. These projects address key challenges in decentralization and governance, encouraging collaboration across disciplines and institutions throughout Europe.
Policy Reports
IDEAGOV applies its interdisciplinary expertise to produce evidence-based reports commissioned by international organizations. These contributions support informed decision-making and advance policy development in fiscal federalism, decentralization, and governance.