A number of studies, using different samples and datasets, claim that various legislative institutions affect fiscal policy. This paper uses data from a 2003 survey of budgeting practices to comprehensively evaluate the effect of a range of legislative institutions on public spending in 25 OECD...

We analyze when economists become top-level “economic policy-makers,” focusing on financial crises and the partisanship of a country's leader. We present a new dataset of the educational and occupational background of 1200 political leaders, finance ministers, and central bank governors from...

Fiscal transparency and participation in government budgeting are widely promoted, yet claims about their benefits are rarely based on convincing evidence. We provide the first systematic review covering 38 empirical studies published between 1991 and early 2015. Increased budgetary disclosure...

Fiscal transparency and participation in government budgeting are widely promoted, yet claims about their benefits are rarely based on convincing evidence. We provide the first systematic review covering 38 empirical studies published between 1991 and early 2015. Increased budgetary disclosure...

There is frequent public and media concern over the cost of bloated cabinets in many Sub-Saharan African countries. Scholarship on elite clientelism links cabinet positions with corruption and practices that undermine sound policy making. This paper presents new data on the number of ministers...

Empirical evidence on the beneficial effects of fiscal transparency ranges from improved budgetary outcomes, to lower sovereign borrowing costs and decreased corruption. Despite this, hardly any effort has been invested in exploring the determinants of fiscal transparency. Using a new 85-country...

Since 2000, three consecutive governments in Croatia have focused their policies on modernising the public administration and reforming the budget process. This article examines the budget process in Croatia in the light of its two unique characteristics: a very detailed account structure, and a...

This review of the Slovenian budget system was carried out as part of the Budget Project of the Working Party of Senior Budget Officials (SBO). The Budget Project aims to initiate and foster regional networks of Senior Budget Officials outside the OECD area. This review served as a basis for the...