Much of the economic analysis of local governments assumes that local policymakers operate in a competitive environment where cities produce a level of local public sector output that can be considered "efficient". Efficiency can be quantifies as the highest value of local property tax base...

The last two decades have been a turbulent period for American higher education, with profound demographic shifts, gyrating salaries, and marked changes in the economy. While enrollments rose about 50% in that period, sharp increases in tuition and fees at colleges and universities provoke...