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Fiscal Supervision and the Soft Budget Constraint: Evidence from Germany

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  • Christofzik, Désirée I.
  • Kessing, Sebastian G.

Abstract

We study the effectiveness of local borrowing regulations in maintaining fiscal sustainability and the effect of supervision over municipal budgeting on local debt using a panel on municipalities in Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2003 to 2011. The identification strategy relies on a differences-in-differences approach and exploits the fact that a reform making it temporarily more likely to prevent financial supervision was implemented gradually across municipalities. We find that relaxing supervision temporarily leads to higher dept per capita.

Suggested Citation

  • Christofzik, Désirée I. & Kessing, Sebastian G., 2014. "Fiscal Supervision and the Soft Budget Constraint: Evidence from Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100315, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc14:100315
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • H74 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Borrowing
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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