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Electoral cycles in public administration decisions: evidence from German municipalities

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  • Sebastian Garmann

Abstract

Electoral cycles in public administration decisions: evidence from German municipalities. Regional Studies. This paper provides evidence that there is an electoral cycle in public administration decisions using data from German local governments in the period 2001–10. Specifically, it finds that the number of building licences issued by the public administration significantly increases in election years. This result is robust to various specification tests and to dealing with the potential endogeneity of the election timing.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Garmann, 2017. "Electoral cycles in public administration decisions: evidence from German municipalities," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(5), pages 712-723, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:51:y:2017:i:5:p:712-723
    DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2015.1120282
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    Cited by:

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    2. Björn Kauder & Manuela Krause & Niklas Potrafke, 2018. "Electoral cycles in MPs’ salaries: evidence from the German states," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(4), pages 981-1000, August.
    3. Manuela Krause, 2019. "Communal fees and election cycles: Evidence from German municipalities," ifo Working Paper Series 293, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Cahan, Dodge, 2017. "Electoral cycles in government employment: Evidence from US gubernatorial elections," University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series qt8wn83441, Department of Economics, UC San Diego.
    5. Drini Imami & Luca J. Uberti & Endrit Lami & Edvin Zhllima, 2018. "Political business cycles and construction licensing : Evidence from post‐socialist Tirana, Albania (1994–2015)," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 26(3), pages 523-552, July.
    6. Blane D. Lewis & Adrianus Hendrawan, 2018. "The impact of mayor-council coalitions on local government spending, service delivery, and corruption in Indonesia," Departmental Working Papers 2018-19, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    7. Florian Dorn, 2021. "Elections and Government Efficiency," ifo Working Paper Series 363, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    8. Dorn, Florian, 2023. "Elections and Government Efficiency," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277700, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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