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Voting on Infrastructure Investment: The Role of Product Market Competition

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  • Arghya Ghosh
  • Kieron Meagher

Abstract

In spatial competition, public infrastructure plays a crucial role in determining product market outcomes. In our model, consideration of infrastructure’s impact on the product market drives the voting behavior of consumers in their dual role as voter/taxpayers. The spatial heterogeneity of consumers produces conflicting political interests and in many cases inefficient outcomes. However across both exogenous and endogenous market environments product market competition consistently leads to higher levels of publicly funded infrastructure than monopoly/collusion. Furthermore, competition’s boost to the popular support for infrastructure investment is often excessive while monopoly leads to underinvestment.

Suggested Citation

  • Arghya Ghosh & Kieron Meagher, 2014. "Voting on Infrastructure Investment: The Role of Product Market Competition," ANU Working Papers in Economics and Econometrics 2014-618, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:acb:cbeeco:2014-618
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures

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