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An Empirical Framework for Large-Scale Policy Analysis, with an Application to School Finance Reform in Michigan

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  • Maria Marta Ferreyra

Abstract

In this paper, I develop an empirical framework for the analysis of large-scale policies, and apply it to study the effects of school finance reform on the Detroit metropolitan area. Exploiting school finance reform in Michigan in 1994, I estimate a general equilibrium model of multiple jurisdictions with 1990 data from Detroit, predict the 2000 equilibrium, and compare this prediction with 2000 data to validate the model. I conduct counterfactual simulations using the estimates. According to my analysis, feasible revenue-based reforms that ensure spending equity or adequacy have little impact on school quality or household demographics in Detroit. (JEL H75, I22)

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Marta Ferreyra, 2009. "An Empirical Framework for Large-Scale Policy Analysis, with an Application to School Finance Reform in Michigan," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 147-180, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:1:y:2009:i:1:p:147-80
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.1.1.147
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    Cited by:

    1. Samuel Berlinski & Maria Marta Ferreyra & Luca Flabbi & Juan David Martin, 2024. "Childcare Markets, Parental Labor Supply, and Child Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(6), pages 2113-2177.
    2. H. Allen Klaiber & V. Kerry Smith, 2013. "Developing general equilibrium benefit analyses for social programs: an introduction and example," Chapters, in: Scott O. Farrow & Richard Zerbe, Jr. (ed.), Principles and Standards for Benefit–Cost Analysis, chapter 6, pages 194-246, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Johnson, Erik & Walsh, Randall, 2013. "The effect of property taxes on vacation home growth rates: Evidence from Michigan," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 740-750.
    4. Tomoaki Kotera & Ananth Seshadri, 2017. "Educational Policy and Intergenerational Policy," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 25, pages 187-207, April.
    5. Rosenthal, Stuart S. & Ross, Stephen L., 2015. "Change and Persistence in the Economic Status of Neighborhoods and Cities," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 1047-1120, Elsevier.
    6. Jeffrey P. Cohen & Cletus C. Coughlin & Jonas C. Crews & Stephen L. Ross, 2020. "The Closing of a Major Airport: Immediate and Longer-Term Housing Market Effects," Working Papers 2020-001, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 19 Jan 2021.
    7. Debra Hevenstone & Ben Jann, 2016. "Fiscal Federalism and Tax Equalization: The potential for progressive local taxes," University of Bern Social Sciences Working Papers 19, University of Bern, Department of Social Sciences.
    8. Chakrabarti, Rajashri & Roy, Joydeep, 2015. "Housing markets and residential segregation: Impacts of the Michigan school finance reform on inter- and intra-district sorting," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 110-132.
    9. Constant Tra, 2009. "Title: A Discrete Choice Equilibrium Approach to Valuing Large Environmental Changes," Working Papers 0922, University of Nevada, Las Vegas , Department of Economics.
    10. Il Hwan Chung & William Duncombe & John Yinger, 2018. "The Impact of State Aid Reform on Property Values: A Case Study of Maryland's Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 13(3), pages 369-394, Summer.
    11. Rajashri Chakrabarti & Joydeep Roy, 2017. "Effect of constraints on Tiebout competition: evidence from a school finance reform," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(5), pages 765-785, May.
    12. Chakrabarti, Rajashri & Roy, Joydeep, 2016. "Do charter schools crowd out private school enrollment? Evidence from Michigan," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 88-103.
    13. Ana Figueiredo, 2018. "Information Frictions in Education and Inequality," 2018 Meeting Papers 804, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    14. Tra, Constant I., 2010. "A discrete choice equilibrium approach to valuing large environmental changes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1-2), pages 183-196, February.
    15. Nicolai V. Kuminoff & V. Kerry Smith & Christopher Timmins, 2010. "The New Economics of Equilibrium Sorting and its Transformational Role for Policy Evaluation," NBER Working Papers 16349, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid

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    1. An Empirical Framework for Large-Scale Policy Analysis, with an Application to School Finance Reform in Michigan (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2009) in ReplicationWiki

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