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State and Local Government Choices in Fiscal Redistribution

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  • Bahl, Roy
  • Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge
  • Wallace, Sally

Abstract

Economists have devoted relatively little attention to explaining why some state and local governments choose more progressive fiscal instruments than others. This paper provides an empirical model to identify the determinants of income redistribution as a budgetary choice, and estimates the strength of these determinants with state-local government panel data for a 21 year period. We find emphasis on redistributive expenditures in less urbanized and poorer states, and more emphasis on redistributive revenues in states that are less urbanized, poorer, and with larger elderly and black populations. We find that state-local governments use revenue and expenditure distribution instruments as complements.

Suggested Citation

  • Bahl, Roy & Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & Wallace, Sally, 2002. "State and Local Government Choices in Fiscal Redistribution," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 55(4), pages 723-742, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:55:y:2002:i:4:p:723-42
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2002.4.04
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    Cited by:

    1. Kumba Digdowiseiso & Syed M. Murshed & Sylvia I. Bergh, 2022. "How Effective Is Fiscal Decentralization for Inequality Reduction in Developing Countries?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Marton, James & Wildasin, David E., 2007. "State government cash and in-kind benefits: Intergovernmental fiscal transfers and cross-program substitution," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 1-20, January.
    3. Pi, Jiancai & Zhang, Pengqing, 2021. "Redistribution and wage inequality," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 510-523.
    4. Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & McNab, Robert M., 2003. "Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(9), pages 1597-1616, September.
    5. Kara D. Smith & Bryan Shone, 2016. "Progressive State Taxes and Welfare," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(4), pages 430-437, December.
    6. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Robert McNab, 1997. "Fiscal Decentralization, Economic Growth, and Democratic Governance," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper9707, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    7. Pietrovito, Filomena & Pozzolo, Alberto Franco & Resce, Giuliano & Scialà, Antonio, 2023. "Fiscal decentralization and income (re)distribution in OECD countries’ regions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 69-81.
    8. Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & Timofeev, Andrey, 2008. "Regional-local dimension of Russia's fiscal equalization," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 157-176, March.
    9. Suárez-Varela, Marta & Martínez-Espiñeira, Roberto & González-Gómez, Francisco, 2015. "An analysis of the price escalation of non-linear water tariffs for domestic uses in Spain," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 82-93.
    10. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Agnese Sacchi, 2017. "The Impact Of Fiscal Decentralization: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1095-1129, September.
    11. Saeid Mahdavi, 2013. "State Government Tax Revenue, Tax Revenue Composition and Tax Effort Index: An Assessment of the 1978-97 period," Working Papers 0213eco, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.
    12. Goodspeed, Timothy J., 2002. "Tax competition and tax structure in open federal economies: Evidence from OECD countries with implications for the European Union," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 357-374, February.
    13. Michael Craw, 2015. "The Effect of Fragmentation and Second-Order Devolution on Efficacy of Local Public Welfare Policy," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 45(2), pages 270-296.
    14. Jorge Martínez-Vázquez & Violeta Vulovic & Blanca Moreno Dodson, 2012. "The Impact of Tax and Expenditure Policies on Income Distribution: Evidence from a Large Panel of Countries," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 200(1), pages 95-130, March.
    15. Howard Chernick, 2010. "Redistribution at the State and Local Level: Consequences for Economic Growth," Public Finance Review, , vol. 38(4), pages 409-449, July.
    16. Jason M. Fletcher & Matthew N. Murray, 2008. "What Factors Influence the Structure of the State Income Tax?," Public Finance Review, , vol. 36(4), pages 475-496, July.
    17. Caroline-Antonia Goerl & Mr. Mike Seiferling, 2014. "Income Inequality, Fiscal Decentralization and Transfer Dependency," IMF Working Papers 2014/064, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Goodspeed, Timothy J., 2000. "Tax structure in a federation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 493-506, March.
    19. Baja Daza, Gover & Villarroel Böhrt, Sergio & Zavaleta Castellón, David, 2012. "Diseño institucional e incentivos implicitos en la descentralización Boliviana (1994-2008) [Institutional design and implicit incentives in Bolivia's decentralization model (1994-2008)]," MPRA Paper 48598, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Charly Ondobo Tsala & henri Ngoa Tabi, 2022. "Political decentralization and income inequality in developping countries : does governance matter ?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(4), pages 2103-2116.
    21. Hal Hill & Yogi Vidyattama, 2016. "Regional Development Dynamics In Indonesia Before And After The ‘Big Bang’ Decentralization," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 61(02), pages 1-26, June.

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