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The Tiebout Hypothesis and Majority Rule: An Empirical Analysis

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  • Dennis Epple
  • Thomas Romer
  • Holger Sieg

Abstract

The paper provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of majority rule and Tiebout sorting within a system of local jurisdictions. The idea behind the estimation procedure is to investigate whether observed levels of public expenditures satisfy necessary conditions implied by majority rule in a general equilibrium model of residential choice. The estimator controls for both observed and unobserved heterogeneity among households, observed and unobserved characteristics of communities, the potential endogeneity of prices and expenditures as well as the self-selection of households into communities of their choice. We estimate the structural parameters of the model using data from the Boston Metropolitan Area. The empirical findings are by and large supportive of our approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Dennis Epple & Thomas Romer & Holger Sieg, 1999. "The Tiebout Hypothesis and Majority Rule: An Empirical Analysis," NBER Working Papers 6977, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6977
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Holger Sieg & V. Kerry Smith & H. Spencer Banzhaf & Randy Walsh, 2000. "Estimating the General Equilibrium Benefits of Large Policy Changes: The Clean Air Act Revisited," NBER Working Papers 7744, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Holger Sieg & V. Kerry Smith & Spencer Banzhaf & Randy Walsh, 2000. "Using Locational Equilibrium Models to Evaluate Housing Price Indexes," NBER Working Papers 7934, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Lars Nesheim, 2002. "Equilibrium sorting of heterogeneous consumers across locations: theory and empirical implications," CeMMAP working papers CWP08/02, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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