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Fiscal Centralisation and Decentralisation in Russia and China

Author

Listed:
  • Elliott Parker

    (Department of Economics, University of Nevada, Reno, AB 319-C, Reno, NV 89557-0207, USA)

  • Judith Thornton

    (Department of Economics, University of Washington, Box 353330, Condon 408, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.)

Abstract

We review the fiscal evolution of China and Russia and how the process of creating a separate tax-financed public sector in the two countries differed. China's fiscal budget was consistently smaller than in Russia, and their fiscal decentralisation was consistently greater. In China, local governments that were allowed to keep marginal increases in local tax revenue had incentives to pursue growth-supporting policies, but the absence of financial markets and barriers to investment resulted in protectionism and inefficient use of capital. Interregional fiscal transfers from the centre provided modest fiscal equalisation in China, but not in Russia. Russia's status as a petro-state makes efficient management of the public sector particularly difficult. Rising world energy prices and resource rents have generated growing federal budget surpluses, and fiscal recentralisation has been associated with expanding state control in other areas. Comparative Economic Studies (2007) 49, 514–542. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ces.8100225

Suggested Citation

  • Elliott Parker & Judith Thornton, 2007. "Fiscal Centralisation and Decentralisation in Russia and China," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 49(4), pages 514-542, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:pal:compes:v:49:y:2007:i:4:p:514-542
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    Cited by:

    1. Kvartiuk, Vasyl & Herzfeld, Thomas, 2021. "Redistributive politics in Russia: The political economy of agricultural subsidies," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 63(1), pages 1-30.
    2. Yu, X. & Zhang, X. & You, L., 2018. "Does The Granary County Subsidy Policy Lead to Manipulation of Grain Production Data in China? Evidence from a Natural Experiment," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277298, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Gang Chen & Brett Inder & Paula Lorgelly & Bruce Hollingsworth, 2013. "The Cyclical Behaviour Of Public And Private Health Expenditure In China," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(9), pages 1071-1092, September.
    4. ROZELLE, Scott & SWINNEN, Johan F.M., 2009. "Why did the communist party reform in China, but not in the Soviet Union? The political economy of agricultural transition," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 275-287, June.
    5. Zhang, Xiaoheng & Yu, Xiaohua & You, Liangzhi, 2020. "Does the Granary County Subsidy Program Lead to manipulation of grain production data in China?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Barbara Krug & Alexander Libman, 2015. "Commitment to local autonomy in non-democracies: Russia and China compared," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 221-245, June.

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