國立臺灣大學政治學系Department of Political Science, National Taiwan University趙永茂Chao, Y.M.Y.M.Chao2017-09-082018-06-282017-09-082018-06-281991-12http://ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw//handle/246246/281767自從傑佛遜(Thomas Jefferson)主張政府之治權宜小，人民之政權宜大，以及應鞏固各邦權利，發展地方自治的聯邦主義(federalism)以後，經史密斯(Joshua J. Smith)、古德諾(Frank J. Goodnow)、芬納(Herman Finer)以及夏普(L.J. Sharpe)等人在地方分權(decentralizatio)理論的闡揚，使得地方分權理論體系奠定深厚的根基，尤其一九七○年代以後更為蓬勃發展。它扱取了政治學、憲法學、社會學以及經濟學等理論，建構下列基礎理論：聯邦主義(Frderalism)、地方分權論(decentralization)、獨立論與分離主義(independence and separation)、區域自治論(regional autonomy)、地方民主論(local democracy)、多元主義(pluralism)、憲政主義(constitutionalism)等，已建構相當豐富的理論基礎與分析系絡。本文指在有系統的加以討論與檢視。固然地方分權已建構相當有力的理論依據，然而費斯樂(James Fesler)、威爾遜(Tom Wilson)及夏普(L. J. Sharpe)等人亦針對地力自治組織之功能與管理、地方自治領域與相關外部關係之限制，以及地方政府在運作上的限制與困境，嚴厲加以批判。足見地方分權論者與中央集權論者相同，均面臨不同的理論矛盾、限制與困境，仍有待進一步的研究與整合。Since Thomas Jefferson has alleged that the power of central government should be given more restrains, people’s power need enlarged, and the state government also needs to enhance its power to against the federal central government, theory of local autonomy and federalism have been well developed. After that, Joshua J. Smith, Frank J. Goodnow, Herman Finer and L. J. Sharpe have been made a great contribution on the construction and the explanation of decentralization theory, which has been structured a very strongly theoretical basis for the study of decentralization, and was very prosperously developed since 1970. Decentralization theories have absorbed many related theories, such as politics, constitution, sociology and economics, and have constructed the following basic theories: federalism, decentralization, independence and separation, regional autonomy, local democracy, pluralism and constitutionalism, etc., which totally also have been presented a very valuable analytical context. Although decentralization theory has structured a fairly strong theoretical basis, James Fesler, Tom Wilson and L.J. Sharpe all have been strictly criticized on the function and management of local government, the relationship restrains between the boundary of local government and its related external organizations, and the operational limits and predicaments of local government. So that, like centralization theory, decentralization also faces many theoretical contradiction, restrains and dilemma, which still need continuously taking more advanced studies for the purpose of the integration of decentralization theory.journal article