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Partial Fiscal Decentralization and Sub-National Government Fiscal Discipline: Empirical Evidence from OECD Countries

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  • Zareh Asatryan
  • Lars P. Feld
  • Benny Geys

Abstract

Recent theoretical research suggests that financing sub-national governments’ expenditure out of own revenue sources is linked to more responsible budgeting, because the financial implications of spending decisions then are internalized within a jurisdiction. We test this proposition empirically on a sample of 23 OECD countries over the 1975-2000 period, and find evidence in line with the hypothesis that greater revenue decentralization (measured as sub-national governments’ share of own source tax revenues in general government tax revenue) is associated with improved sub-national government budget deficits/surpluses. This finding is cross-validated with a novel, independent dataset consisting of all 34 OECD member states from 2002 to 2008.

Suggested Citation

  • Zareh Asatryan & Lars P. Feld & Benny Geys, 2015. "Partial Fiscal Decentralization and Sub-National Government Fiscal Discipline: Empirical Evidence from OECD Countries," CESifo Working Paper Series 5279, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_5279
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    3. Jinsol Park, 2022. "Fiscal Decentralization and the Composition of Local Government Expenditure: Evidence from South Korea," Public Finance Review, , vol. 50(1), pages 62-90, January.
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    5. Grażyna Bukowska & Joanna Siwińska-Gorzelak, 2016. "Can fiscal decentralisation curb fiscal imbalances?," Working Papers 2016-35, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    6. Jia, Junxue & Liu, Yongzheng & Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & Zhang, Kewei, 2021. "Vertical fiscal imbalance and local fiscal indiscipline: Empirical evidence from China," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Asatryan, Zareh & Feld, Lars P., 2015. "Revisiting the link between growth and federalism: A Bayesian model averaging approach," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 772-781.
    8. Feld, Lars P., 2018. "The quest for fiscal rules," Freiburg Discussion Papers on Constitutional Economics 18/09, Walter Eucken Institut e.V..
    9. Ananya Kotia & Victor Duarte Lledo, 2016. "Do Subnational Fiscal Rules Foster Fiscal Discipline? New Empirical Evidence from Europe," IMF Working Papers 2016/084, International Monetary Fund.
    10. David Bartolini & Agnese Sacchi & Simone Salotti & Raffaella Santolini, 2018. "Fiscal Decentralization in Times of Financial Crises," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 64(3), pages 456-488.
    11. Ryota Nakatani, 2024. "Revenue Decentralization and the Probability of a Fiscal Crisis: Is There a Tipping Point for Adverse Effects?," Public Finance Review, , vol. 52(3), pages 376-396, May.
    12. Boukari, Mamadou & Veiga, Francisco José, 2018. "Disentangling political and institutional determinants of budget forecast errors: A comparative approach," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 1030-1045.
    13. Michael Alexeev & Nikolay Avxentyev & Arseny Mamedov & Sergey G. Sinelnikov-Murylev, 2019. "Fiscal Decentralization, Budget Discipline, and Local Finance Reform in Russia’s Regions," Public Finance Review, , vol. 47(4), pages 679-717, July.
    14. Leonardo Letelier S. & Héctor Ormeño, 2018. "El mapa de la descentralización fiscal en Chile," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 21(3), pages 004-040, December.
    15. Junxue Jia & Siying Ding & Yongzheng Liu, 2018. "Decentralization, Incentives, and Tax Enforcement," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1819, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    16. Beata Guziejewska & Katarzyna Walerysiak-Grzechowska, . "A Local Government Revenue System under Macroeconomic Pressure: The Case of Poland," Prague Economic Papers, University of Economics, Prague, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    17. Agnieszka Kopańska, 2016. "Partial decentralization and its influence on local governments’ spending policy. An analysis of spending for teachers and other resources needed for schools," Working Papers 2016-38, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    18. Michael Klien & Hans Pitlik & Matthias Firgo & Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger, 2020. "Ein Modell für einen strukturierten vertikalen Finanzausgleich in Österreich," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 65854, August.
    19. Lenuta Cojocariu & Florin Oprea, 2020. "Fiscal Consolidation and Economic Crisis – Ten Years After," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(1), pages 866-882, August.
    20. András Bethlendi & Csaba Lentner, 2018. "Subnational Fiscal Consolidation: The Hungarian Path from Crisis to Fiscal Sustainability in Light of International Experiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, August.
    21. Ehtisham Ahmad & Giorgio Brosio (ed.), 2015. "Handbook of Multilevel Finance," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14380.
    22. Beata Guziejewska & Katarzyna Walerysiak-Grzechowska, 2020. "A Local Government Revenue System under Macroeconomic Pressure - The Case of Poland," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(1), pages 29-52.
    23. Kosycarz, Ewa & Dędys, Monika & Ekes, Maria & Wranik, Wiesława Dominika, 2023. "The effects of provider contract types and fiscal decentralization on the efficiency of the Polish hospital sector: A data envelopment analysis across 16 health regions," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    24. Jia, Junxue & Ding, Siying & Liu, Yongzheng, 2020. "Decentralization, incentives, and local tax enforcement," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    25. Jose M Alonso & Rhys Andrews, 2019. "Fiscal decentralisation and local government efficiency: Does relative deprivation matter?," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 37(2), pages 360-381, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fiscal federalism; revenue autonomy; budget deficits;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination

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