It is generally accepted that fiscal decentralization increases citizens’ control over politicians, fostering accountability and increasing efficiency. This article identifies the socioeconomic characteristics of citizens (potential voters) that increase their control over local policy-makers...

This paper first formulates a model of how the politicians in a local government collectively lobby to raise intergovernmental grants to their local government. The model identifies a relationship between council size and grants received. I then study this relationship empirically using the...

France has a track record of persistent general government deficits, partly reflecting pro-cyclical fiscal policies in upswings. This has resulted in a quadrupling of its public debt-to-GDP ratio since the 1970s to above 80% of GDP. Reducing public debt is crucial because a high level of public...

The first part of this report deals with the evolution of Spanish local governments throughout the non-democratic period (1950-1975) and the beginning and development of the decentralization (1978-1988). In the nineties, local authorities claimed the need to reinforce their local governments by...

This paper first formulates a model of how the politicians in a local government collectively lobby to raise intergovernmental grants to their local government. The model identifies a relationship between council size and grants received. I then study this relationship empirically using the...

In times of economic crisis, not only central governments but also local ones may experience deterioration in their financial situation. Also, the latter not only may but also should contribute through specific budgetary measures to the stabilization and recovery of the economy. Based on such...

Nella situazione attuale, gli effetti strutturali del patto di stabilità interno vanno considerati con ogni attenzione. Questi effetti sono “prociclici”: essi aggravano i fenomeni deflattivi che, dopo la crisi del 2008, sono oggi pesantemente in corso. L’analisi statistica condotta mostra...

In order to analyze the transfers policy among different levels of government, first it is necessary to calculate the capacity and fiscal effort of the specific region of study. This paper reviews the different methods to compute these two concepts and it also shows how the availability of...

France has a track record of persistent general government deficits, partly reflecting pro-cyclical fiscal policies in upswings. This has resulted in a quadrupling of its public debt-to-GDP ratio since the 1970s to above 80% of GDP. Reducing public debt is crucial because a high level of public...

In this study an attempt has been made to assess the potential of land as a municipal financing tool in four Indian cities, to enable better public service delivery and attainment of the MDGs. The institutional arrangements for land use are fragmented in India's cities between the urban...