Herrero Alcalde, AnaMartín Román, JavierMoral-Arce, Ignacio2025-11-042025-11-042025-04-18Herrero-Alcalde, A., J. Martín-Román, e I. Moral-Arce (2025): “Does Decentralization Affect the Size of Public Intervention? Evidence from Anti-Covid Public Policies”, Publius. The Journal of Federalism, 1–32, https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjaf0101747-7107https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjaf010https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/30756The registered version of this article, first published in Publius: The Journal of Federalism, is available online at the publisher's website: Oxford University Press, https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjaf010La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en Publius: The Journal of Federalism, está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: Oxford University Press, https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjaf010Although the impact of decentralization on public sector size has been extensively studied, little attention has been given to how this relationship unfolds during extreme events. Does decentralization amplify or constrain government intervention in times of crisis? This article addresses this gap by examining how different dimensions of decentralization influenced the size of fiscal measures adopted by thirty-one European countries in response to the crunch of the Covid-19 pandemic. Using data from the Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker, we find that subnational expenditure and several dimensions of regional power constrain public intervention during crises. On the contrary, and although subnational taxing powers appear to have no significant effect, greater subnational borrowing autonomy is associated with larger policy responses.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess5303 Contabilidad pública5304 Actividad económicaartículodecentralizationpublic sector sizeCovid-19