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Government Subsidies to Private Military R&D Investment: DOD's IR&D Policy

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  • Frank R. Lichtenberg

Abstract

A relatively obscure defense procurement policy establishes a large subsidy to private military R&D investment. On the surface, it appears that the marginal subsidy to such investment is zero, but this is only true in the short run. Due to DOD's policy of allowable-cost determination, the long-run subsidy is substantial. It is much larger, in fact, than the subsidy provided by the R&D Tax Credit enacted in 1981. I calculate the subsidy by estimating an econometric model using contractor-level data from the Defense Contract Audit Agency. This subsidy may have an important influence on the amount and character of privately financed innovation in the U.S.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank R. Lichtenberg, 1988. "Government Subsidies to Private Military R&D Investment: DOD's IR&D Policy," NBER Working Papers 2745, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2745
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    1. Lichtenberg, Frank R, 1988. "The Private R&D Investment Response to Federal Design and Technical Competitions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(3), pages 550-559, June.
    2. Reppy, Judith, 1977. "Defense department payments for `company-financed' R&D," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 396-410, October.
    3. William P. Rogerson, 1988. "Profit Regulation of Defense Contractors and Prizes for Innovation : Theory and Evidence," Discussion Papers 759, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
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    Cited by:

    1. Juan R. Perilla Jiménez & Thomas H. W. Ziesemer, 2024. "Technology adoption, innovation policy and catching-up," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1-24, April.
    2. Qiang Fu & Jingfeng Lu, 2010. "Contest Design And Optimal Endogenous Entry," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(1), pages 80-88, January.
    3. Thomas Karier, 1999. "Closing the R&D Gap," Macroeconomics 9902002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. William P. Rogerson, 1993. "Economic Incentives and the Defense Procurement Process," Discussion Papers 1078, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.

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