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Insurance and Incentive Effects of Transfers among Regions: Equity and Efficiency

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  • S. Bucovetsky

Abstract

When productivity shocks across regions are less-than-perfectlycorrelated, there are gains from federation, even if the regionsare identical ex ante. For the federation to provide insurancefor these productivity shocks, it must introduce some sort of“equalizing” transfer programme among regions. But any suchtransfer programme induces a form of moral hazard as well, ifregions still have some control over their own policies. Oneof the implications of this moral hazard is that the progressivityof the overall (regional together with federal) tax system willbe increased when the federal transfer programme is expanded. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1997

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  • S. Bucovetsky, 1997. "Insurance and Incentive Effects of Transfers among Regions: Equity and Efficiency," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 4(4), pages 463-483, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:itaxpf:v:4:y:1997:i:4:p:463-483
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1008660931233
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    1. Bofinger, Peter & Feld, Lars P. & Schmidt, Christoph M. & Schnabel, Isabel & Wieland, Volker, 2018. "Vor wichtigen wirtschaftspolitischen Weichenstellungen. Jahresgutachten 2018/19 [Setting the Right Course for Economic Policy. Annual Report 2018/19]," Annual Economic Reports / Jahresgutachten, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, volume 127, number 201819.
    2. Lars P. Feld & Wolfgang Kerber, 2006. "Mehr-Ebenen Jurisdiktionssysteme: Zur variablen Architektur von Integration," Marburg Working Papers on Economics 200605, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    3. Wildasin, David E., 2004. "The Institutions of Federalism: Toward an Analytical Framework," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 57(2), pages 247-272, June.
    4. Robin Boadway & Katherine Cuff, 2017. "The impressive contribution of Canadian economists to fiscal federalism theory and policy," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(5), pages 1348-1380, December.
    5. Robert Fenge & Jakob von Weizsäcker, 2001. "How Much Fiscal Equalization? A Constitutional Approach," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 157(4), pages 623-633, December.
    6. Wouter Vermeulen & Maarten Allers, 2013. "Fiscal Equalization and Capitalization: Evidence from a Policy Reform," CPB Discussion Paper 245.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    7. Wouter Vermeulen & Maarten Allers, 2013. "Fiscal Equalization and Capitalization: Evidence from a Policy Reform," CPB Discussion Paper 245, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    8. repec:dgr:rugsom:14023-eef is not listed on IDEAS
    9. GRECO, Luciano, 2003. "Optimal grants under asymmetric information: federalism versus devolution," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2003024, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    10. Vermeulen, W. & Allers, Maarten, 2014. "Fiscal equalization, capitalization and the flypaper effect," Research Report 14023-EEF, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    11. Ogawa, Hikaru & Wang, Wenming, 2016. "Asymmetric tax competition and fiscal equalization in a repeated game setting," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 1-10.
    12. Buettner, Thiess, 2009. "The contribution of equalization transfers to fiscal adjustment: Empirical results for German municipalities and a US-German comparison," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 417-431, September.
    13. Konrad, Kai A. & Seitz, Helmut, 2001. "Fiscal federalism and risk sharing in Germany: the role of size differences [Risikokonsolidierung im Rahmen des deutschen Länderfinanzausgleichs: die Rolle von Größenunterschieden]," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Processes and Governance FS IV 01-20, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    14. Hans-Günter Krüsselberg, 2005. "Milton Friedman und der Wissenschaftliche Beirat für Familienfragen Elternkompetenz und Anteilscheine am Schulbudget – Gedanken über Reformpotenziale," Marburg Working Papers on Economics 200506, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    15. Olga Lucía Acosta N. & Israel Fainboim & Catalina Gutiérrez S. & Blanca Cecilia Zuluaga D., 1999. "Relaciones fiscales entre el Distrito Especial de Bogotá y la Nación," Coyuntura Social 13094, Fedesarrollo.
    16. Wallace Oates, 2005. "Toward A Second-Generation Theory of Fiscal Federalism," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 12(4), pages 349-373, August.
    17. M. Rose Olfert, 2016. "Regional Inequality and Decentralized Governance: Canada's Provinces," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 46(3), pages 201-222, Winter.

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