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A spatial cross‐sectional analysis of political trends in Italian municipalities

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  • Raffaella Santolini

Abstract

. The aim of this paper is to detect mimicking behaviour in the tax setting of local governments which share similar political ideology. We conduct an empirical investigation of municipalities' cross‐sectional data of the Marche region using spatial econometrics models. Discriminating between several sources of fiscal interaction, empirical evidence suggests that municipalities governed by the same coalition tend to implement similar tax rates according to their ideology. Resumen. El objetivo de este artículo es detectar comportamiento de imitación en la política tributaria de gobiernos locales que comparten una ideología política similar. Realizamos una investigación empírica con datos transversales de municipios de la región de las Marcas con modelos econométricos espaciales. Realizando una discriminación entre fuentes diferentes de interacción fiscal, la evidencia empírica sugiere que los municipios gobernados por la misma coalición tienden a establecer tasas fiscales similares de acuerdo con su ideología.

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  • Raffaella Santolini, 2008. "A spatial cross‐sectional analysis of political trends in Italian municipalities," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 87(3), pages 431-451, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:presci:v:87:y:2008:i:3:p:431-451
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1435-5957.2008.00201.x
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    2. J. Sebastian Leguizamon & Casto Martin Montero Kuscevic, 2019. "Party Cues, Political Trends, And Fiscal Interactions In The United States," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(4), pages 600-620, October.
    3. David Bartolini & Raffaella Santolini, 2012. "Political yardstick competition among Italian municipalities on spending decisions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(1), pages 213-235, August.
    4. Benoît LE MAUX & Kristýna DOSTÁLOVÁ & Fabio PADOVANO, 2017. "Ideology and Public Policies: A Quasi-Experimental Test of the Hypothesis that Left-Wing Governments Spend More," Economics Working Paper from Condorcet Center for political Economy at CREM-CNRS 2017-01-ccr, Condorcet Center for political Economy.
    5. Benoît Le Maux & Kristýna Dostálová & Fabio Padovano, 2020. "Ideology or voters? A quasi-experimental test of why left-wing governments spend more," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 182(1), pages 17-48, January.
    6. Benoît LE MAUX & Kristýna DOSTÁLOVÁ & Antti MOISIO, 2017. "Do political parties matter? Endogenous fragmentation, partisanship, and local public expenditures in Finland," Economics Working Paper from Condorcet Center for political Economy at CREM-CNRS 2017-02-ccr, Condorcet Center for political Economy.
    7. Asmae AQZZOUZ & Michel DIMOU, 2022. "Tax mimicking in French counties," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 55, pages 113-132.
    8. Magdalena Karska & Andrzej Torój, 2018. "Strategiczne interakcje przestrzenne między decyzjami wydatkowymi gmin w Polsce w latach 2008–2014," Collegium of Economic Analysis Annals, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis, issue 53, pages 29-46.
    9. Francisco J. Delgado & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Matías Mayor, 2015. "On The Determinants Of Local Tax Rates: New Evidence From Spain," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 33(2), pages 351-368, April.
    10. Laurent Van Malderen & Marcel Gerard, 2013. "Testing yardstick competition through a vote-function: evidence from the Walloon municipalities," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 2(4), pages 206-214.
    11. Giuseppe Arbia, 2011. "A Lustrum of SEA: Recent Research Trends Following the Creation of the Spatial Econometrics Association (2007--2011)," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(4), pages 377-395, July.
    12. Georg Grassmueck & Martin Shields, 2010. "Does government fragmentation enhance or hinder metropolitan economic growth?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(3), pages 641-657, August.
    13. Raffaella Santolini, 2020. "Spatial effects on local government efficiency," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(1), pages 183-200, February.
    14. Vicente Rios & Miriam Hortas-Rico & Pedro Pascual, 2022. "What shapes the flypaper effect? The role of the political environment in the budget process," Local Government Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(5), pages 793-820, September.
    15. Laurent Van Malderen & Marcel Gérard, 2012. "Tax Interaction Among Walloon Municipalities: Is There Room For Partisan Monopoly Effect?," ERSA conference papers ersa12p1051, European Regional Science Association.
    16. David Bartolini & Raffaella Santolini, 2009. "Fiscal Rules and the Opportunistic Behaviour of the Incumbent Politician: Evidence from Italian Municipalities," CESifo Working Paper Series 2605, CESifo.
    17. Luis Ayala & Ana Herrero & Jorge Martinez‐Vazquez, 2021. "Welfare benefits in highly decentralized fiscal systems: Evidence on interregional mimicking," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(5), pages 1178-1208, October.
    18. Marcel Gérard & Laurent van Malderen, 2012. "Tax Interaction among Walloon Municipalities: Is there Room for Yardstick Competition, Intellectual Trend and Partisan Monopoly Effect?," CESifo Working Paper Series 4025, CESifo.

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