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Identifying the effects of place-based policies – Evidence from Germany

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  • Titze, Mirko
  • Dettmann, Eva
  • Brachert, Matthias

Abstract

The German government provides discretionary investment grants to structural weak regions to allow them to overcome disadvantages. The legislatives of the European Union (EU) however restrict the number of supported regions: The share of population in assisted regions is not allowed to exceed an arbitrarily defined threshold. We use a regression-discontinuity design that exploits a discrete jump in the probability to receive investment grants. Thus, we identify causal effects of the investment grant treatment on area level economic outcomes. We find positive effects for regional gross value added and productivity growth but no effects for employment and gross wages growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Titze, Mirko & Dettmann, Eva & Brachert, Matthias, 2016. "Identifying the effects of place-based policies – Evidence from Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145735, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc16:145735
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sascha O. Becker & Peter H. Egger & Maximilian von Ehrlich, 2013. "Absorptive Capacity and the Growth and Investment Effects of Regional Transfers: A Regression Discontinuity Design with Heterogeneous Treatment Effects," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 29-77, November.
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    7. Maximilian v. Ehrlich & Tobias Seidel, 2018. "The Persistent Effects of Place-Based Policy: Evidence from the West-German Zonenrandgebiet," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 344-374, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jain, Manisha & Jehling, Mathias, 2020. "Analysing transport corridor policies: An integrative approach to spatial and social disparities in India," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • Z00 - Other Special Topics - - General - - - General
    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis

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