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Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth in OECD Countries: Is there a Relationship?

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  • Thushyanthan Baskaran
  • Lars P. Feld

Abstract

We study the relationship between fiscal decentralization and economic growth for 23 OECD countries from 1975 to 2001 by using new panel data on sub-federal tax autonomy. While initial estimations suggest that fiscal decentralization causes lower growth rates, we find that this result is not robust to alternative specifications. We also fail to obtain evidence for a negative relationship in a number of additional robustness checks. We thus conclude that fiscal decentralization is unrelated to economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Thushyanthan Baskaran & Lars P. Feld, 2009. "Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth in OECD Countries: Is there a Relationship?," CESifo Working Paper Series 2721, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_2721
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    Cited by:

    1. Thushyanthan Baskaran & Lars P. Feld & Jan Schnellenbach, 2014. "Fiscal Federalism, Decentralization and Economic Growth: Survey and Meta-Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 4985, CESifo.
    2. Serhan Cevik, 2019. "Policy coordination in fiscal federalism: drawing lessons from the Dubai debt crisis," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 14(5), pages 899-915, April.
    3. Andreas Buehn & Christian Lessmann & Gunther Markwardt, 2013. "Decentralization and the shadow economy: Oates meets Allingham--Sandmo," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(18), pages 2567-2578, June.
    4. Yu‐Fu Chen & Michael Funke, 2010. "Booms, Recessions And Financial Turmoil: A Fresh Look At Investment Decisions Under Cyclical Uncertainty," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 57(3), pages 290-317, July.
    5. Pierre Salmon, 2013. "Decentralization and growth: what if the cross-jurisdiction approach had met a dead end?," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 87-107, June.
    6. Federico Podestà, 2017. "The economic impact of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomy: a synthetic control analysis of asymmetric Italian federalism," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 58(1), pages 21-37, January.
    7. Libman, Alexander, 2010. "Constitutions, regulations, and taxes: Contradictions of different aspects of decentralization," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 395-418, December.
    8. Hatfield, John William, 2015. "Federalism, taxation, and economic growth," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 114-125.
    9. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Roberto Ezcurra, 2011. "Is fiscal decentralization harmful for economic growth? Evidence from the OECD countries," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 619-643, July.
    10. Nasir Iqbal & Musleh Ud Din & Ejaz Ghani, 2012. "Fiscal Decentralisation and Economic Growth: Role of Democratic Institutions," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 51(3), pages 173-195.
    11. Olena Chygryn & Yuriy Petrushenko & Alina Vysochyna & Anna Vorontsova, 2018. "Assessment of Fiscal Decentralization Influence on Social and Economic Development," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 14(4), pages 69-84.
    12. International Monetary Fund, 2011. "United Arab Emirates: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix," IMF Staff Country Reports 2011/112, International Monetary Fund.
    13. Kimiko Terai & Amihai Glazer, 2014. "Insufficient Experimentation Because Agents Herd," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2014-008, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    14. Lóránd, Balázs & Horváth, Gyula, 2012. "Decentralizáció és gazdasági fejlődés. Az olasz példa [Decentralization and economic development. The case of Italy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(12), pages 1273-1298.
    15. Federico Podestà, 2015. "The Economic Impact of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Autonomy. A Synthetic Control Analysis of Asymmetric Italian Federalism," FBK-IRVAPP Working Papers 2015-04, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IRVAPP), Bruno Kessler Foundation.
    16. Jungmittag, Andre, 2014. "Der Trade-off zwischen deutschen Direktinvestitionen und Exporten: Wie wichtig sind die verschiedenen Dimensionen der Distanz?," Working Paper Series 04, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business and Law.
    17. Achim Truger & Dieter Vesper, 2014. "Zur Reform des Länderfinanzausgleichs ? eine Notwendigkeit?," IMK Studies 37-2014, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    18. Akalbeo, Benard & Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & Yedgenov, Bauyrzhan, 2023. "Fiscal decentralization and structural versus cyclical unemployment levels," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    19. Alibegović Dubravka Jurlina & Hodžić Sabina & Bečić Emira, 2019. "The Level of Fiscal Autonomy: Evidence from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina," NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 91-112, June.
    20. Iftikhar Ahmad & Muhammad Zeeshan Arif & Mahmood Khalid, 2016. "From Fiscal Decentralisation to Economic Growth: The Role of Complementary Institutions," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 55(4), pages 761-780.
    21. Aristovnik, Aleksander, 2012. "Fiscal decentralization in Eastern Europe: a twenty-year perspective," MPRA Paper 39316, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Serhan Cevik, 2017. "Size matters: fragmentation and vertical fiscal imbalances in Moldova," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 44(2), pages 367-381, May.
    23. K. L. Devkota, 2014. "Impact of Fiscal Decentralization on Economic Growth in the Districts of Nepal," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1420, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    24. Mr. Serhan Cevik, 2014. "Fragmentation and Vertical Fiscal Imbalances Lessons from Moldova," IMF Working Papers 2014/233, International Monetary Fund.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fiscal federalism; sub-national fiscal autonomy; tax competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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