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Professional team sporting success: do economic and personal freedom provide competitive advantages?

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Listed:
  • Anna Bykova

    (National Research University Higher School of Economics)

  • Dennis Coates

    (National Research University Higher School of Economics
    University of Maryland Baltimore County)

Abstract

Using Major League Soccer data from 2004 to 2018 seasons as a rich dataset, this study examines the role of economic and personal freedom at subnational (state) level in determining team performance. Inspired by public economics studies and issues related with labour migration, unlike previous studies, we investigate the relationship between the quality of a state’s institutions and team (firm) outcome. Our estimates suggest that un(freedom) has statistical significant and harmful but not large impact on sports results in soccer. The magnitude of the effect depends on the initial level of team performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Bykova & Dennis Coates, 2022. "Professional team sporting success: do economic and personal freedom provide competitive advantages?," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 323-358, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:ecogov:v:23:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10101-022-00280-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10101-022-00280-3
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic Freedom of North America; Index of Personal freedom; Team performance; Instutional quality; MLS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
    • H3 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents
    • J6 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers

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