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Measuring Horizontal Fiscal Imbalances: the case of Italian Municipalities

Author

Listed:
  • Giuseppe Di Liddo

    (University of Bari (Italy))

  • Ernesto Longobardi

    (University of Bari (Italy))

  • Francesco Porcelli

    (University of Exeter (U.K.))

Abstract

In the literature on fiscal federalism, vertical fiscal imbalances have been widely studied, while the theme of horizontal fiscal imbalances and inequality between local governments’ fiscal capacities is still less explored. This paper contributes to fill the gap. A new method to compute fiscal capacities based on regression analysis is proposed, which can overcome some of the drawbacks of traditional methods such the representative tax system. This new approach is then employed to evaluate the fiscal capacities of Italian municipalities over the period 2002-2010. Finally two global measures of the horizontal fiscal imbalance are then used to evaluate the equity implication of a major policy change occurred in 2008 in Italian municipal finance.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuseppe Di Liddo & Ernesto Longobardi & Francesco Porcelli, 2014. "Measuring Horizontal Fiscal Imbalances: the case of Italian Municipalities," SERIES 0049, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza - Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", revised Jul 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:bai:series:economia-series49
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Resce, Giuliano, 2022. "Political and Non-Political Officials in Local Government," Economics & Statistics Discussion Papers esdp22079, University of Molise, Department of Economics.
    2. Wildmer Daniel Gregori & Luigi Marattin, 2019. "Determinants of fiscal distress in Italian municipalities," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1269-1281, April.
    3. Resce, Giuliano, 2022. "The impact of political and non-political officials on the financial management of local governments," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(5), pages 943-962.
    4. Carmela Brugnano & Giuseppe Ferraina & Andrea Ferri & Larysa Minzyuk & Felice Russo, 2017. "Federalismo municipale e nuovo sistema perequativo: il Fondo di solidariet? comunale 2016," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(2), pages 93-133.
    5. Mustafa Kiziltan & Ahmet Burcin Yereli, 2023. "Evaluating local fiscal capacity and fiscal effort of Turkish local governments: Evidence from spatial panel data analysis," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 441-472, February.
    6. Jason Delaney, 2019. "Comparing Apples to Apples: Estimating Fiscal Need in the United States with a Regression-Based Representative Expenditure Approach," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 47(3), pages 311-322, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inter-governmental grants; horizontal and fiscal imbalances; equalisation; fiscal capacityLength: 277;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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