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Does Tax Competition Tame the Leviathan?

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  • Brülhart, Marius
  • Jametti, Mario

Abstract

We study the impact of tax competition on equilibrium taxes and welfare, focusing on the jurisdictional fragmentation of federations. In a representative-agent model of fiscal federalism, fragmentation among jurisdictions with benevolent tax-setting authorities unambiguously reduces welfare. If, however, tax-setting authorities pursue revenue maximization, fragmentation, by pushing down equilibrium tax rates, may under certain conditions increase citizen welfare. We exploit the highly decentralized and heterogeneous Swiss fiscal system as a laboratory for the estimation of these effects. While for purely direct-democratic jurisdictions (which we associate with benevolent tax setting) we find that tax rates increase in fragmentation, fragmentation has a moderating effect on the tax rates of jurisdictions with some degree of delegated government. Our results thereby support the view that tax competition can be second-best welfare enhancing by constraining the scope for public-sector revenue maximization.

Suggested Citation

  • Brülhart, Marius & Jametti, Mario, 2007. "Does Tax Competition Tame the Leviathan?," CEPR Discussion Papers 6512, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6512
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Direct democracy; Fiscal federalism; Government preferences; Optimal taxation; Tax competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D7 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making
    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations

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