The paper analyzes the evolution of the trade specialization patterns in Italy and its main trade partners (France, Germany, and the United States). In the methodological section we discuss the effectiveness of the Lafay index as an indicator of specialization. We then propose some modifications...

This paper studies fiscal federalism when voter information varies across regions. We develop a model of political agency with heterogeneously informed voters. Rent seeking politicians provide public goods to win the votes of the informed. As a result, rent extraction is lower in regions with...