New opportunities and risks arise from the growing role of Italian local governments as public debt issuers on credit and financial markets. The paper analyzes the present institutional framework, and characterizes a reform implementing a stable and efficient "market" for the Italian local...

When local governments default or file for bankruptcy, it is often because public officials misunderstood the risks associated with innovative financial products. If unsophisticated municipal bond issuers were to widely adopt a high risk financial product, this could harm taxpayers and...