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Per-capita public expenditures and population size: a non-parametric analysis using French data

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Breunig

    (RSSS - Research School of Social Sciences - ANU - Australian National University)

  • Yvon Rocaboy

    (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Based on the median voter model, we specify a flexible general framework of the effect of municipality size on per-capita public expenditures. Previous literature has recognized that municipality size should have a non-linear effect on the quality of public goods provision and to this end different papers have applied a range of alternative parametric specifications. Using a very large sample of French "communes" we are able to estimate the effect of municipality size semi-parametrically. In contrast with the parametric specifications, we find evidence of the U-shaped relationship between per-capita public expenditures and population which is predicted by theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Breunig & Yvon Rocaboy, 2008. "Per-capita public expenditures and population size: a non-parametric analysis using French data," Post-Print halshs-00315891, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00315891
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-008-9304-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bergstrom, Theodore C & Goodman, Robert P, 1973. "Private Demands for Public Goods," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(3), pages 280-296, June.
    2. Melville L. McMillan & W. Robert Wilson & Louise M. Arthur, 1981. "The Publicness of Local Public Goods: Evidence from Ontario Municipalities," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 14(4), pages 596-608, November.
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    4. Gonzalez, R A & Means, T S & Mehay, S L, 1993. "Empirical Tests of the Samuelsonian Publicness Parameter: Has the Right Hypothesis Been Tested?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 77(3), pages 523-534, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Eck & Carolin Fritzsche & Jan Kluge & Joachim Ragnitz & Felix Rösel, 2015. "Fiscal Capacity and Determining Structural Characteristics of the Eastern German Laender," ifo Dresden Studien, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 76, July.
    2. Ning Jia & Huiyong Zhong, 2022. "The Causes and Consequences of China's Municipal Amalgamations: Evidence from Population Redistribution," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 30(4), pages 174-200, July.
    3. Quentin Frère & Hakim Hammadou & Sonia Paty, 2011. "The range of local public services and population size: Is there a “zoo effect” in French jurisdictions?," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 77(2), pages 87-104.
    4. Reingewertz, Yaniv, 2014. "Fiscal Decentralization - a Survey of the Empirical Literature," MPRA Paper 59889, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Giuseppe Liddo & Michele G. Giuranno, 2020. "The political economy of municipal consortia and municipal mergers," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(1), pages 105-135, April.
    6. Federico Revelli & Tsung-Sheng Tsai & Roberto Zotti, 2021. "Fiscal Externalities in Multilevel Tax Structures: Evidence from Concurrent Income Taxation," CESifo Working Paper Series 9276, CESifo.
    7. Dino Rizzi & Michele Zanette, 2015. "A Procedure for the Ex-Ante Assessment of Compulsory Municipal Amalgamation Programs," Working Papers 2015:22, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    8. Florian Dorn & Stefanie Gaebler & Felix Roesel, 2021. "Ineffective fiscal rules? The effect of public sector accounting standards on budgets, efficiency, and accountability," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 186(3), pages 387-412, March.
    9. Guy Gilbert & Alain Guengant & Benoît Le Maux & Yvon Rocaboy, 2012. "Une étude économétrique de la dépense publique locale: Le cas des départements français," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes 1 & University of Caen) 201203, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes 1, University of Caen and CNRS.
    10. D'Inverno, Giovanna & Moesen, Wim & De Witte, Kristof, 2022. "Local government size and service level provision. Evidence from conditional non-parametric analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    11. Rhys Andrews, 2015. "Vertical consolidation and financial sustainability: evidence from English local government," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(6), pages 1518-1545, December.
    12. Reingewertz, Yaniv, 2012. "Do municipal amalgamations work? Evidence from municipalities in Israel," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 240-251.
    13. Benoît Maux & Yvon Rocaboy & Timothy Goodspeed, 2011. "Political fragmentation, party ideology and public expenditures," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 43-67, April.
    14. Astrid Marie Jorde Sandsør & Torberg Falch & Bjarne Strøm, 2022. "Long‐run Effects of Local Government Mergers on Educational Attainment and Income," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 84(1), pages 185-213, February.
    15. Hans Pitlik & Klaus Wirth & Barbara Lehner, 2010. "Gemeindestruktur und Gemeindekooperation," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 41359, April.
    16. Gissur Ó Erlingsson & Jonas Klarin & Eva Maria Mörk, 2021. "Does Size Matter? Evidence from Municipality Break-Ups," CESifo Working Paper Series 9042, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Local public economics; semi-parametric econometrics; congestion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies

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