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Transfers in a polarized country: bridging the gap between efficiency and stability

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  • Haimanko, Ori
  • Le Breton, Michel
  • Weber, Shlomo

Abstract

We consider a political economy model of country whose citizens have heterogeneous preferences for a national policy and some regions may contemplate a threat of secession. The country is efficient if its break-up into smaller countries leads to aggregate utility loss. We show that in an efficient country whose citizens' preferences exhibit a high degree of polarization, a threat of secession cannot be eliminated without interregional transfers. We also demonstrate that, if majority voting is used to determine the redistribution schemes within the country, then a high degree of polarization yields the full compensation scheme as the unique political equilibrium.
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Suggested Citation

  • Haimanko, Ori & Le Breton, Michel & Weber, Shlomo, 2005. "Transfers in a polarized country: bridging the gap between efficiency and stability," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(7), pages 1277-1303, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:89:y:2005:i:7:p:1277-1303
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption

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