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Fiscal Competition and the Composition of Public Spending: Theory and Evidence

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  • Borck, Rainald

    (University of Potsdam)

  • Caliendo, Marco

    (University of Potsdam)

  • Steiner, Viktor

    (Free University of Berlin)

Abstract

In this paper, we consider fiscal competition between jurisdictions. Capital taxes are used to finance a public input and two public goods, one which benefits mobile skilled workers and one which benefits immobile unskilled workers. We derive the jurisdictions’ reaction functions for different spending categories. We then estimate these reaction functions using data from German communities. Thereby we explicitly allow for a spatially lagged dependent variable and a possible spatial error dependence by applying a generalized spatial two-stage least squares (GS2SLS) procedure. The results show that there is significant interaction between spending of neighbouring counties in Germany.

Suggested Citation

  • Borck, Rainald & Caliendo, Marco & Steiner, Viktor, 2006. "Fiscal Competition and the Composition of Public Spending: Theory and Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 2428, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2428
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    Cited by:

    1. Barreira, Ana, 2011. "Spatial Strategic Interaction on Public Expenditures of The Northern Portuguese Local Governments," Spatial and Organizational Dynamics Discussion Papers 2011-2, CIEO-Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve.
    2. Borck, Rainald & Fossen, Frank M. & Freier, Ronny & Martin, Thorsten, 2015. "Race to the debt trap? — Spatial econometric evidence on debt in German municipalities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 20-37.
    3. Rainald Borck & Marco Caliendo & Viktor Steiner, 2007. "Fiscal Competition and the Composition of Public Spending: Theory and Evidence," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 63(2), pages 264-277, June.
    4. Konon, Alexander & Fritsch, Michael & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2018. "Business cycles and start-ups across industries: An empirical analysis of German regions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 742-761.
    5. Kappeler, Andreas & Solé-Ollé, Albert & Stephan, Andreas & Välilä, Timo, 2013. "Does fiscal decentralization foster regional investment in productive infrastructure?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 15-25.
    6. Fenge, Robert & von Ehrlich, Maximilian & Wrede, Matthias, 2009. "Public input competition and agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 621-631, September.
    7. Agustín Molina†Parra & Diego Martínez†López, 2018. "Do Federal Deficits Motivate Regional Fiscal (Im)Balances? Evidence For The Spanish Case," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 224-258, January.
    8. Sebastian Langer, 2019. "Expenditure interactions between municipalities and the role of agglomeration forces: a spatial analysis for North Rhine-Westphalia," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 62(3), pages 497-527, June.
    9. Shun-ichiro Bessho & Kimiko Terai, 2011. "Competition for private capital and central grants: the case of Japanese industrial parks," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 135-154, June.
    10. Alexander Konon & Michael Fritsch & Alexander Kritikos, 2017. "Business Cycles and Start-ups across Industries: an Empirical Analysis for Germany," Jena Economics Research Papers 2017-013, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    11. Darong Dai & Dennis W. Jansen & Liqun Liu, 2021. "Inter-jurisdiction migration and the fiscal policies of local governments," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 133-164, March.
    12. Lenka GREGOROVA & Martin GREGOR, 2010. "Jurisdictional Competition via Spending Composition: The Case of the Czech Republic," Regional and Urban Modeling 284100016, EcoMod.
    13. Matsumoto, Mutsumi & Feehan, James P., 2010. "Capital-tax financing and scale economies in public-input production," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2-3), pages 116-121, May.
    14. Frank M. Fossen & Lukas Mergele & Nicolas Pardo, 2017. "Fueling fiscal interactions: commodity price shocks and local government spending in Colombia," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 24(4), pages 616-651, August.
    15. Mutsumi Matsumoto, 2010. "Entry in tax competition: a note," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 17(6), pages 627-639, December.
    16. Lenka Šťastná, 2009. "Spatial Interdependence of Local Public Expenditures: Selected Evidence from the Czech Republic," Czech Economic Review, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, vol. 3(1), pages 007-025, March.
    17. Soyoung Park & Sungchan Kim, 2023. "Does fiscal decentralization affect local governments' strategic behaviours? Evidence from South Korea," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 124-141, February.
    18. Bessho, Shun-ichiro & Ogawa, Hikaru, 2015. "Fiscal adjustment in Japanese municipalities," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 1053-1068.
    19. Yongzheng Liu & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2011. "Public Input Competition, Stackelberg Equilibrium and Optimality," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1123, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    20. Kappeler, Andreas & Solé-Ollé, Albert & Stephan, Andreas & Välilä, Timo, 2013. "Does fiscal decentralization foster regional investment in productive infrastructure?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 15-25.
    21. Baocheng He & Jiawei Wang & Jiaoyang Wang & Kun Wang, 2018. "The Impact of Government Competition on Regional R&D Efficiency: Does Legal Environment Matter in China’s Innovation System?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public spending; spatial econometrics; tax competition; capital skill complementarity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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