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The Determinants of Median Voter Tax Liability: an Empirical Test of the Fiscal Illusion Hypothesis

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  • Samuel H. Baker

    (College of William and Mary)

Abstract

A median voter model was constructed, permitting an empirical examination of the determinants of state and local individual tax liability. Holding constant the effect of other factors, a 1% increase in median voter income is found to increase median voter tax liability by 1.4%. A rise in per capita mineral shipments and thus, an increase in the available mineral extraction tax base lead to reduction in voter tax liability. Also, support is found for the version of the fiscal illusion hypothesis that the level of taxation increases as tax structures become more complex by drawing upon a larger number of revenue sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Samuel H. Baker, 1983. "The Determinants of Median Voter Tax Liability: an Empirical Test of the Fiscal Illusion Hypothesis," Public Finance Review, , vol. 11(1), pages 95-108, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:11:y:1983:i:1:p:95-108
    DOI: 10.1177/109114218301100106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Borcherding, Thomas E & Deacon, Robert T, 1972. "The Demand for the Services of Non-Federal Governments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(5), pages 891-901, December.
    2. Vincent Munley & Kenneth Greene, 1978. "Fiscal illusion, the nature of public goods and equation specification," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 95-100, March.
    3. Granger, C. W. J. & Newbold, P., 1976. "The use of R2 to determine the appropriate transformation of regression variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 205-210, August.
    4. Werner W. Pommerehne & Friedrich Schneider*, 1978. "Fiscal Illusion, Political Institutions, And Local Public Spending," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 381-408, August.
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    2. Roberto Dell'Anno & Morena De Stefano, 2014. "Un indicatore sintetico dell?Illusione Finanziaria. Un tentativo di stima per l?Italia," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(1), pages 65-92.
    3. Feenberg, Daniel R. & Rosen, Harvey S., 1987. "Tax structure and public sector growth," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 185-201, March.
    4. José Cruz, 2001. "An empirical application of the median voter model and of the interest group influence model to the Portuguese and Galician municipalities," ERSA conference papers ersa01p25, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Yongzheng Liu & Haibo Feng, 2015. "Tax structure and corruption: cross-country evidence," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 57-78, January.
    6. Walter Misiolek & Harold Elder, 1988. "Tax structure and the size of government: An empirical analysis of the fiscal illusion and fiscal stress arguments," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 233-245, June.
    7. F. Forte, 1997. "The measurement of 'fiscal burden' on GDP instead than on national net value added produced: a chapter in fiscal illusion," BNL Quarterly Review, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, vol. 50(202), pages 337-375.
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    9. Musharraf Cyan & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & VIoleta Vulovic, 2013. "Measuring tax effort: Does the estimation approach matter and should effort be linked to expenditure goals?," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1308, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.

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