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Politics and the distribution of federal funds: Evidence from federal legislation in response to COVID-19

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  • Clemens, Jeffrey
  • Veuger, Stan

Abstract

COVID-19 relief legislation offers a unique setting to study how political representation shapes the distribution of federal assistance to state and local governments. We provide evidence of a substantial small-state bias: an additional Senator or Representative per million residents predicts an additional 670 dollars in aid per capita across the four relief packages. Alignment with the Democratic party predicts increases in states’ allocations through legislation designed after the January 2021 political transition. This benefit of alignment with a unified federal government operates through the American Rescue Plan Act’s size and through the formulas it used to distribute transportation and general relief funds.

Suggested Citation

  • Clemens, Jeffrey & Veuger, Stan, 2021. "Politics and the distribution of federal funds: Evidence from federal legislation in response to COVID-19," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:204:y:2021:i:c:s0047272721001900
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2021.104554
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    Cited by:

    1. Agrawal, David R. & Shybalkina, Iuliia, 2023. "Online shopping can redistribute local tax revenue from urban to rural America," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    2. Hershbein, Brad & Stuart, Bryan A., 2023. "Place-based consequences of person-based transfers: Evidence from recessions," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    3. Matuszak Piotr & Totleben Bartosz & Piątek Dawid, 2022. "Political alignment and the allocation of the COVID-19 response funds—evidence from municipalities in Poland," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 8(1), pages 50-71, April.
    4. Clemens, Jeffrey & Hoxie, Philip & Kearns, John & Veuger, Stan, 2023. "How did federal aid to states and localities affect testing and vaccine delivery?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    5. Jeffrey Clemens & Stan Veuger, 2024. "Intergovernmental Grants and Policy Competition: Concepts, Institutions, and Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: Policy Responses to Tax Competition, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Cooper, Zack & Kowalski, Amanda & Powell, Eleanor Neff & Wu, Jennifer D., 2024. "Politics and health care spending in the United States: A case study from the passage of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Jeffrey Clemens & Philip G. Hoxie & Stan Veuger, 2022. "Was Pandemic Fiscal Relief Effective Fiscal Stimulus? Evidence from Aid to State and Local Governments," NBER Working Papers 30168, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Wilson, Matthew, 2023. "State government saving over the business cycle," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Fiscal federalism; Intergovernmental Grants; Politics; State and local budgets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H12 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Crisis Management
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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