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Capitalization of equalizing grants and the flypaper effect

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  • Allers, Maarten A.
  • Vermeulen, Wouter

Abstract

The wide-ranging empirical support for the flypaper effect in local public finance remains a puzzle in spite of various theoretical explanations. We exploit a reform of the fiscal equalization system in the Netherlands to show that the resulting change in grants to municipalities was fully capitalized into local house prices. Nevertheless, only a small fraction was passed on to residents through property taxes, indicating local public service provision as the main adjustment channel. As the marginal homebuyer was apparently willing to pay for these services, capitalization makes rent seeking by local politicians or bureaucrats improbable — thus effectively ruling out one class of explanations for the flypaper effect. The absence of a significant effect on municipal staff provides further evidence against a bureaucratic flypaper effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Allers, Maarten A. & Vermeulen, Wouter, 2016. "Capitalization of equalizing grants and the flypaper effect," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 115-129.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:58:y:2016:i:c:p:115-129
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2016.03.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Suzuki, Takafumi, 2021. "Capitalization of local government grants on land values: Evidence from Tokyo metropolitan area, Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    2. Manuel E. Lago & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2022. "On the effects of intergovernmental grants: a survey," Working Papers. Collection A: Public economics, governance and decentralization 2204, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    3. Manuel E. Lago & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2024. "On the effects of intergovernmental grants: a survey," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(3), pages 856-908, June.
    4. Berset, Simon & Schelker, Mark, 2020. "Fiscal windfall curse," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    5. Giuliano Masiero & Michael Santarossa, 2020. "Earthquakes, grants, and public expenditure: How municipalities respond to natural disasters," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 481-516, June.
    6. Mark Kattenberg & Wouter Vermeulen, 2018. "The stimulative effect of an unconditional block grant on the decentralized provision of care," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(1), pages 166-199, February.
    7. Becker, Johannes & Hopp, Daniel & Kriebel, Michael, 2020. "Mental accounting of public funds – The flypaper effect in the lab," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 321-336.
    8. 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.
    9. Sebastian Langer & Artem Korzhenevych, 2019. "Equalization Transfers and the Pattern of Municipal Spending: An Investigation of the Flypaper Effect in Germany," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 20(2), pages 737-765, November.
    10. Yasin ACAR, 2019. "Does Flypaper Effect Exist? New Evidence from Turkish Municipalities," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 27(39).
    11. Korzhenevych, Artem & Langer, Sebastian, 2016. "The Flypaper Effect in Germany: An East-West Comparison," CEPIE Working Papers 10/16, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    12. David R. Agrawal & Jan K. Brueckner & Marius Brülhart, 2024. "Fiscal Federalism in the 21st Century," CESifo Working Paper Series 10951, CESifo.
    13. Shani, Ron & Reingewertz, Yaniv & Vigoda-Gadot, Eran, 2023. "Intergovernmental grants and local public finance: An empirical examination in Israel," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Giuliano Masiero & Michael Santarossa, 2019. "Earthquakes, grants and public expenditure: how municipalities respond to natural disasters," IdEP Economic Papers 1901, USI Università della Svizzera italiana.
    15. Sangsoo Lim & Sanghoon Lee & Pilhyun Kim, 2017. "Asymmetry in the fly-paper effect of the national subsidy in Korea," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 560-574, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal equalization; Capitalization; Flypaper effect; Rent seeking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • H81 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Governmental Loans; Loan Guarantees; Credits; Grants; Bailouts
    • R2 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis
    • R3 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies

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