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The Municipal Administration Quality Index: The Italian Case

Author

Listed:
  • Augusto Cerqua

    (Sapienza University of Rome)

  • Costanza Giannantoni

    (Sapienza University of Rome)

  • Federico Zampollo

    (Gran Sasso Science Institute)

  • Matteo Mazziotta

    (Italian National Institute of Statistics)

Abstract

Municipal governments have become increasingly involved in public service provision, fund management, and administrative tasks. Despite their importance, studies of their relevance for local economic development have lacked a measure of their quality and capacity with extensive temporal and territorial coverage. We introduce the Municipal Administration Quality Index (MAQI), a novel composite index designed to assess the quality of local governments in Italy. Drawing on a newly compiled dataset covering 2001–2022, MAQI evaluates three key pillars: bureaucratic efficiency and capacity, the quality of local politicians, and the economic and fiscal performance of municipal administrations. Our findings reveal significant variations in administrative quality, with larger municipalities exhibiting higher scores due to fewer financial constraints and better-educated civil servants. We also identify distinct geographical patterns in institutional quality, challenging the conventional North–South divide.

Suggested Citation

  • Augusto Cerqua & Costanza Giannantoni & Federico Zampollo & Matteo Mazziotta, 2025. "The Municipal Administration Quality Index: The Italian Case," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 177(1), pages 345-378, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:177:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-024-03511-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-024-03511-8
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Administrative quality; Municipalities; Composite index; Multidimensional phenomena; Italy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General

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