School finance reform in Michigan involved centralization (at the state level) of spending decisions about schools, a large tax shift (mostly from property to sales), and a small tax cut. The changes came about after two decades of failed attempts to reduce property taxes in the state, and were...

Criticizes empirical research that measures the effectiveness of state and local development and tax policy in terms of employment, business starts, and new branches. Argues that changes in the level and distribution of economic welfare are a better measurement.

An extensive empirical literature exists, showing that variations in region-specific amenities can account for persistent differences in real wages across regions. However, this literature has considered only amenities in the same location as the household. This paper argues that environmental...