IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/midasp/6543.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

School District and Municipal Reorganization: Research Findings & Policy Proposals

Author

Listed:
  • Scorsone, Eric

Abstract

This report discusses the issues of municipal and school district reorganization. For over 100 years, since the so-called progressive era in American history, the issue of local government and school organization has been an important policy debate for policymakers. Over time, local governments and school districts have grown or shrunk in response to changes in society, demographics and economics. The general trend in the United States has been for growth in the number of special districts and a major decline in the number of school districts.

Suggested Citation

  • Scorsone, Eric, 2007. "School District and Municipal Reorganization: Research Findings & Policy Proposals," Staff Paper Series 6543, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:midasp:6543
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.6543
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/6543/files/sp07-01.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.6543?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edelman, Mark A., Dr., 2000. "Potential Cost Savings and Framework of Strategies for Improved Delivery of Government Services," ISU General Staff Papers 200005010700001337, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Thomas G. Cowing & A. G. Holtmann, 1974. "The Distributional Impact of Local Public Service Consolidation: A Case Study," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(4), pages 348-363.
    3. Wagner, Richard E & Weber, Warren E, 1975. "Competition, Monopoly, and the Organization of Government in Metropolitan Areas," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(3), pages 661-684, December.
    4. Gramlich, Edward M & Rubinfeld, Daniel L, 1982. "Micro Estimates of Public Spending Demand Functions and Tests of the Tiebout and Median-Voter Hypotheses," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(3), pages 536-560, June.
    5. Schuler, Richard E, 1974. "The Interaction Between Local Government and Urban Residential Location," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 64(4), pages 682-696, September.
    6. Alberto Alesina & Reza Baqir & Caroline Hoxby, 2004. "Political Jurisdictions in Heterogeneous Communities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(2), pages 348-396, April.
    7. Edelman, Mark, 2000. "Potential Cost Savings and Framework of Strategies for Improved Delivery of Government Services," Staff General Research Papers Archive 2074, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    8. Walzer, Norman, 1972. "Economies of Scale and Municipal Police Services: The Illinois Experience," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 54(4), pages 431-438, November.
    9. repec:cup:apsrev:v:23:y:1929:i:01:p:121-123_11 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Jones, Lonnie L. & Gessaman, Paul H., 1974. "Public Service Delivery In Rural Areas: Problems And Decisions," 1974 Annual Meeting, August 18-21, College Station, Texas 284536, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    11. Daugherty, Arthur B. & Jansma, J. Dean, 1973. "Economies Of Size Among Municipal Water Authorities In Pennsylvania," Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 5(2), pages 1-6, December.
    12. Miles Finney, 1997. "Scale Economies And Police Department Consolidation: Evidence From Los Angeles," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 15(1), pages 121-127, January.
    13. Duncombe, William D, 1992. "Costs and Factor Substitution in the Provision of Local Fire Services," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(1), pages 180-184, February.
    14. Lee M. Day, 1968. "Community Facilities and Services: An Economic Framework for Analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1195-1205.
    15. Duncombe, William & Yinger, John, 1993. "An analysis of returns to scale in public production, with an application to fire protection," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 49-72, August.
    16. Marvin E. Dodson & Thomas A. Garrett, 2004. "Inefficient Education Spending in Public School Districts: A Case for Consolidation?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 22(2), pages 270-280, April.
    17. Stephen L. Mehay, 1979. "Intergovernmental Contracting for Municipal Police Services: An Empirical Analysis," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(1), pages 59-72.
    18. Fox, William F. & Gurley, Tami, 2006. "Will consolidation improve sub-national governments ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3913, The World Bank.
    19. Lonnie L. Jones & Paul H. Gessaman, 1974. "Public Service Delivery in Rural Areas: Problems and Decisions," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 56(5), pages 936-945.
    20. Filer, John E & Kenny, Lawrence W, 1980. "Voter Reaction to City-County Consolidation Referenda," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(1), pages 179-190, April.
    21. Steven C. Deller & Carl H. Nelson, 1991. "Measuring the Economic Efficiency of Producing Rural Road Services," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 73(1), pages 194-201.
    22. Fred White & Luther Tweeten, 1973. "Optimal School District Size Emphasizing Rural Areas," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 55(1), pages 45-53.
    23. David W. Holland & John L. Baritelle, 1975. "School Consolidation in Sparsely Populated Rural Areas: A Separable Programming Approach," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 57(4), pages 567-575.
    24. Daugherty, Arthur B. & Jansma, J. Dean, 1973. "Economies of Size Among Municipal Water Authorities in Pennsylvania," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(2), pages 1-6, December.
    25. Clifton J. Bradley, 1935. "Local Government in a Rural Area," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 17(2), pages 375-378.
    26. Scott J. Callan & Janet M. Thomas, 2001. "Economies of Scale and Scope: A Cost Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Services," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 77(4), pages 548-560.
    27. Rider, Kenneth L, 1979. "The Economics of the Distribution of Municipal Fire Protection Services," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 61(2), pages 249-258, May.
    28. James C. Barron & J. Dean Jansma, 1970. "Impact of Public Land Programs on Local Government Finances," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 52(3), pages 365-371.
    29. Jay G. Chambers, 1978. "Educational Cost Differentials and the Allocation of State Aid for Elementary/Secondary Education," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 13(4), pages 459-481.
    30. Woo Sik Kee, 1967. "Suburban Population Growth and Its Implications for Core City Finance," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(2), pages 202-211.
    31. Harvey Shapiro, 1963. "Economies of Scale and Local Government Finance," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 39(2), pages 175-186.
    32. Gonzalez, R A & Means, T S & Mehay, S L, 1993. "Empirical Tests of the Samuelsonian Publicness Parameter: Has the Right Hypothesis Been Tested?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 77(3), pages 523-534, November.
    33. Andrews, Matthew & Duncombe, William & Yinger, John, 2002. "Revisiting economies of size in American education: are we any closer to a consensus?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 245-262, June.
    34. Panzar, John C & Willig, Robert D, 1981. "Economies of Scope," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(2), pages 268-272, May.
    35. White, Max R., 1942. "Town and City Consolidation in Connecticut," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 36(3), pages 492-502, June.
    36. Kenneth W. Forsythe & John F. Yanagida & Bruce B. Johnson, 1988. "Public School Resources in Rural Communities: An Examination of Size Economies in Eastern Nebraska Public School Districts," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 10(2), pages 293-299.
    37. Albert Breton, 1965. "Scale Effects in Local and Metropolitan Government Expenditures," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 41(4), pages 370-372.
    38. repec:cup:apsrev:v:20:y:1926:i:01:p:76-79_11 is not listed on IDEAS
    39. Hanushek, Eric A, 1986. "The Economics of Schooling: Production and Efficiency in Public Schools," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 24(3), pages 1141-1177, September.
    40. Deller, Steven C & Chicoine, David L & Walzer, Norman, 1988. "Economies of Size and Scope in Rural Low-Volume Roads," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 70(3), pages 459-465, August.
    41. Harold M. Groves & John Riew, 1964. "Financing Metropolitan Municipalities in Wisconsin," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 40(1), pages 29-40.
    42. Kim, H Youn, 1987. "Economies of Scale in Multi-product Firms: An Empirical Analysis," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 54(214), pages 185-206, May.
    43. Wales, Terence J, 1973. "The Effect of School and District Size on Education Costs in British Columbia," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 14(3), pages 710-720, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert P. Inman & Daniel L. Rubinfeld, 1997. "Rethinking Federalism," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 43-64, Fall.
    2. Duncombe, William & Miner, Jerry & Ruggiero, John, 1995. "Potential cost savings from school district consolidation: A case study of New York," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 265-284, September.
    3. Juan Luis Gómez-Reino & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2021. "Evidence on economies of scale in local public service provision: a meta-analysis," Working Papers. Collection A: Public economics, governance and decentralization 2103, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    4. Doeksen, Gerald A. & Peterson, Janet, 1987. "Critical Issues In The Delivery Of Local Government Services In Rural America," Staff Reports 277911, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Takeshi Miyazaki, 2021. "Economies of Scope and Local Government Expenditure: Evidence from Creation of Specially Authorized Cities in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-22, March.
    6. Takeshi Miyazaki, 2018. "Internalization of externalities and local government consolidation: empirical evidence from Japan," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 1061-1086, May.
    7. Alexander Eck & Carolin Fritzsche & Jan Kluge & Joachim Ragnitz & Felix Rösel, 2015. "Fiscal Capacity and Determining Structural Characteristics of the Eastern German Laender," ifo Dresden Studien, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 76, July.
    8. Nora Gordon & Brian Knight, 2006. "The Causes of Political Integration: An Application to School Districts," NBER Working Papers 12047, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Tiller, Kelly & Jakus, Paul M., 2005. "Applying the Miceli Model to Explain Cooperation in Municipal Solid Waste Management," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 34(2), pages 1-9, October.
    10. Kelly Tiller & Paul Jakus, 2004. "Explaining Cooperation in Municipal Solid Waste Management," Working Papers 2004-07, Utah State University, Department of Economics.
    11. Reingewertz, Yaniv, 2014. "Fiscal Decentralization - a Survey of the Empirical Literature," MPRA Paper 59889, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Reingewertz, Yaniv, 2012. "Do municipal amalgamations work? Evidence from municipalities in Israel," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 240-251.
    13. Miles Finney, 1997. "Scale Economies And Police Department Consolidation: Evidence From Los Angeles," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 15(1), pages 121-127, January.
    14. Timothy J. Gronberg & Dennis W. Jansen & Mustafa U. Karakaplan & Lori L. Taylor, 2015. "School district consolidation: Market concentration and the scale‐efficiency tradeoff," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(2), pages 580-597, October.
    15. Fox, William F., 1980. "Relationships Between Size of Schools and School Districts and the Cost of Education," Technical Bulletins 157726, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    16. Gordon, Nora & Knight, Brian, 2009. "A spatial merger estimator with an application to school district consolidation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(5-6), pages 752-765, June.
    17. Werner W. Pommerehne & Charles Beat Blankart, 1979. "Les économies d'échelles dans les services urbains," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 30(2), pages 338-354.
    18. Repp, Brandon James, 2004. "Economies of size and implications for consolidation: a case study of Iowa school districts," ISU General Staff Papers 2004010108000018200, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    19. Downes, Thomas A. & Pogue, Thomas F., 1994. "Adjusting School Aid Formulas for the Higher Cost of Educating Disadvantaged Students," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(1), pages 89-110, March.
    20. Oates, Wallace E., 2005. "Property taxation and local public spending: the renter effect," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 419-431, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public Economics;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:midasp:6543. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/damsuus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.