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Does Nature Limit Environmental Federalism?

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  • Smith, V. Kerry
  • Mansfield, Carol
  • Schwabe, Kurt

Abstract

This research considers whether the principles developed to analyze the optimal jurisdiction for producing public goods can be applied in cases where regulations of private activities provide the primary means to deliver different amounts of public and quasi-public goods. The analysis evaluates how devolution affects the development of benefit cost analyses for regulations and the role of economic versus environmental factors in defining the extent of the regulatory market. Using a study of nutrient control for the Neuse River in North Carolina, the analysis develops area specific measures of the benefits and costs of regulations and illustrates how changes in the composition of the areas allowed to "count" for policy design can affect decisions about the levels of control judged to meet the net benefit test.

Suggested Citation

  • Smith, V. Kerry & Mansfield, Carol & Schwabe, Kurt, 1997. "Does Nature Limit Environmental Federalism?," RFF Working Paper Series dp-97-30, Resources for the Future.
  • Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-97-30
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Oates, Wallace E & Portney, Paul R & McGartland, Albert M, 1989. "The Net Benefits of Incentive-Based Regulation: A Case Study of Environmental Standard Setting," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(5), pages 1233-1242, December.
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    10. Gold, Steven D., 1996. "Issues Raised By the New Federalism," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 49(2), pages 273-87, June.
    11. Peter A. Diamond & Jerry A. Hausman, 1994. "Contingent Valuation: Is Some Number Better than No Number?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 8(4), pages 45-64, Fall.
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    14. Smith, V. Kerry & Liu, Jin Long & Palmquist, Raymond B., 1993. "Marine pollution and sport fishing quality : Using Poisson models as household production functions," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 111-116.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fletcher, Jerald, 1999. "Watershed Economics: Resource Valuation Issues," Western Region Archives 321705, Western Region - Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA).
    2. Shyam Nath & Yeti Nisha Madhoo, 2021. "Environmental fiscal federalism and atmospheric pollution: A tale of two Indian cities," ASARC Working Papers 2021-01, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    3. Ring, Irene, 2000. "Intergovernmental fiscal relations and regional sustainability," UFZ Discussion Papers 2/2000, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    4. James Wesley Burnett & Christopher Mothorpe, 2018. "An Economic Assessment of the Southern Atlantic Coastal Region’s Stormwater Management Practices," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(04), pages 1-38, October.
    5. H. Peter Witzke & Guido Urfei, 2001. "Willingness To Pay for Environmental Protection in Germany: Coping With the Regional Dimension," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 207-214.
    6. Bruns, B., 2005. "Community-based principles for negotiating water rights: Some conjectures on assumptions and priorities," IWMI Books, Reports H038750, International Water Management Institute.
    7. Ring, Irene, 2002. "Ecological public functions and fiscal equalisation at the local level in Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 415-427, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy

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