Federalism in Argentina and the Reforms of the 1990s

Federalism in general and fiscal federalism in particular are crucial axes of Argentina’s history, of Argentina’s current situation, and of Argentina’s possible futures. This paper provides a tour of the recent history of fiscal federalism in Argentina, and an overview of its current configuration and main problems. It focuses on the relationship between federalism and the market-oriented reform process of the 1990s, on the evolution of the federal fiscal system itself, and on its implications for the quality of public policies in the social sectors. It also explores some of the connections between federalism and the Argentine crisis of 2001/2002.