Value for money? German local government efficiency in a comparative perspective
Abstract
In this article, we investigate the cost efficiency of German local governments in the state of Baden-W�rttemberg in 2004 using a stochastic frontier approach. Besides being the first study on German data, we add two elements to the literature. First, we provide a comparative perspective, allowing us to embed our results in the broader literature. Second, unlike most previous studies, we explicitly account for exogenous or nondiscretionary influences when estimating municipal efficiency scores. The results suggest that disregarding such exogenous factors can lead to significant and systematic bias in the estimated inefficiency levels. Particularly, underestimation of efficiency occurs for municipalities with high tourist activity, while the reverse is true for municipalities with high unemployment.Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Applied Economics.
Volume (Year): 44 (2012)
Issue (Month): 2 (January)
Pages: 201-218
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Web page: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/routledge/00036846.html
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Cosmin Eugen ENACHE, 2012. "The efficiency of expenditure-related redistributive policies in the European countries," Timisoara Journal of Economics, West University of Timisoara, Romania, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 5(18), pages 380-394.
- Peter Bönisch & Peter Haug & A. Illy & L. Schreier, 2011. "Municipality Size and Efficiency of Local Public Services: Does Size Matter?," IWH Discussion Papers 18, Halle Institute for Economic Research.
- Ivo Bischoff & Peter Bönisch & Peter Haug & A. Illy, 2013. "Vertical Grants and Local Public Efficiency," IWH Discussion Papers 1, Halle Institute for Economic Research.
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