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Optimal Design of Intergovernmental Grants Under Asymmetric Information

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  • Bernd Huber

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  • Marco Runkel

    ()

Abstract

This paper develops a theoretical explanation why it may be optimal for higher-level governments to pay categorical block grants or closed-ended matching grants to local governments. We consider a federation with two types of local governments which differ in the cost of providing public goods. The federal government redistributes between jurisdictions, but cannot observe the type of a jurisdiction. In this asymmetric information setting, it is shown that the second-best optimum can be implemented with the help of categorical block grants and closed-ended matching grants, but not with unconditional block grants or open-ended matching grants. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10797-006-1405-3
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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Springer in its journal International Tax and Public Finance.

Volume (Year): 13 (2006)
Issue (Month): 1 (January)
Pages: 25-41

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Handle: RePEc:kap:itaxpf:v:13:y:2006:i:1:p:25-41

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Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=102915

Related research

Keywords: asymmetric information; categorical block grants; closed-ended matching grants;

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References

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  1. BUCOVETSKY, Sam & MARCHAND, Maurice & PESTIEAU, Pierre, 1997. "Tax competition and revelation of preferences for public expenditure," CORE Discussion Papers 1997003, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
  2. Horst Raff & John Wilson, 1997. "Income Redistribution with Well-Informed Local Governments," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 407-427, November.
  3. Bordignon, Massimo & Manasse, Paolo & Tabellini, Guido, 1996. "Optimal Regional Redistribution Under Asymmetric Information," CEPR Discussion Papers 1437, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  4. Lockwood, Ben, 1997. "Inter-Regional Insurance," Discussion Papers 9703, Exeter University, Department of Economics.
  5. Richard C. Cornes & Emilson C. D. Silva, 2003. "Public Good Mix in a Federation with Incomplete Information," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 5(2), pages 381-397, 04.
  6. Bird, Richard M. & Smart, Michael, 2002. "Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers: International Lessons for Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 899-912, June.
  7. Bev Dahlby, 1996. "Fiscal externalities and the design of intergovernmental grants," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 397-412, July.
  8. Wallace E. Oates, 1999. "An Essay on Fiscal Federalism," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(3), pages 1120-1149, September.
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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Huber, Bernd & Runkel, Marco, 2008. "Interregional redistribution and budget institutions under asymmetric information," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(12), pages 2350-2361, December.
  2. Faber, Riemer & Koning, Pierre, 2012. "Why Not Fully Spend a Conditional Block Grant?," IZA Discussion Papers 6712, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  3. Rosella Levaggi, 2009. "From local to global public goods: how should externalities be represented?," Working Papers 0903, University of Brescia, Department of Economics.
  4. Allers, Maarten A. & Toolsema, Linda A., 2012. "Welfare financing: Grant allocation and efficiency," Research Report 12004-EEF, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
  5. Billy Jack, 2003. "Comparing the distortionary effects of alternative in-kind intergovernmental transfers," Working Papers gueconwpa~03-03-17, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
  6. Herold, Katharina, 2009. "Intergovernmental grants and financial autonomy under asymmetric information," FiFo Discussion Papers - Finanzwissenschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 09-2, University of Cologne, FiFo Institute for Public Economics.
  7. Geys, Benny & Konrad, Kai A., 2010. "Federalism and optimal allocation across levels of governance," Discussion Papers, Research Professorship & Project "The Future of Fiscal Federalism" SP II 2010-09, Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB).

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