IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ntj/journl/v54y2001i3p507-12.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fiscal Competition or Harmonization? Some Reflections

Author

Listed:
  • Oates, Wallace E.

Abstract

Economic competition among governments, making use of both fiscal and regulatory policy instruments, is the subject of great concern on both sides of the Atlantic, for fear that it gives rise to a "race to the bottom" resulting in levels of public services that are too low. This paper explores the theoretical and empirical foundations for this claim. The literature is a large, rich, and complex one that, while perhaps inconclusive, provides some valuable insights into the nature of the issue. The case for harmonizing measures to restrain fiscal competition is not wholly compelling; there remains, in fact, a good case for the benefits from such competition.

Suggested Citation

  • Oates, Wallace E., 2001. "Fiscal Competition or Harmonization? Some Reflections," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 54(3), pages 507-512, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:54:y:2001:i:3:p:507-12
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2001.3.06
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2001.3.06
    Download Restriction: Access is restricted to subscribers and members of the National Tax Association.
    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2001.3.06
    Download Restriction: Access is restricted to subscribers and members of the National Tax Association.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17310/ntj.2001.3.06?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wallace E. Oates & Wallace E. Oates, 2004. "Fiscal Competition and European Union: Contrasting Perspectives," Chapters, in: Environmental Policy and Fiscal Federalism, chapter 10, pages 182-194, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Parry, Ian W. H., 2003. "How large are the welfare costs of tax competition?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 39-60, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mingxiong Bi & Chencheng Wang & Dian Fu & Xun Tan & Shurong Yu & Junbai Pan & Kun Lv, 2022. "Chinese-Style Fiscal Decentralization, Ecological Attention of Government, and Regional Energy Intensity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-28, November.
    2. Ludek Kouba & Michal Madr & Danuse Nerudova & Petr Rozmahel, 2016. "Policy Autonomy, Coordination or Harmonization in the Persistently Heterogeneous European Union?," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 1, pages 53-71, March.
    3. Leonardo Letelier S & Hector Ormeño C, 2018. "Education and fiscal decentralization. The case of municipal education in Chile," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(8), pages 1499-1521, December.
    4. Gebhard Kirchgässner, 2004. "Die Bedeutung der Körperschaftssteuer: Theoretische Überlegungen, die internationale Entwicklung und die Situation in der Schweiz," Aussenwirtschaft, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economics Research, vol. 59(03), pages 239-272, September.
    5. Tomasz Wołowiec & Janusz Soboń, 2011. "EU Integration and Harmonisation of Personal Income Taxation," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 5(1), March.
    6. Ma, Hongqi & Zou, Jingxian & Cai, Hongbo & Zhang, Li, 2024. "Administrative division adjustment and environmental pollution: Evidence from City-County Mergers in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    7. Christopher Berry, 2008. "Piling On: Multilevel Government and the Fiscal Common‐Pool," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(4), pages 802-820, October.
    8. María Martínez Torres, "undated". "Flujos migratorios interregionales en Espana: Un modelo de ecuaciones simultáneas," Studies on the Spanish Economy 207, FEDEA.
    9. Tomasz Wolowiec, 2011. "Selected Issues Of Personal Income Taxation Harmonization," "e-Finanse", University of Information Technology and Management, Institute of Financial Research and Analysis, vol. 7(2), pages 30-44, August.
    10. Trang Hoang, 2022. "Fiscal competition and state pension reforms," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 41-70, September.
    11. Ludek Kouba & Michal Mádr & Danuše Nerudová & Petr Rozmahel, 2015. "Policy Autonomy, Coordination or Harmonisation in the Persistently Heterogeneous European Union? WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 95," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 58136, March.
    12. Haupt, Alexander & Peters, Wolfgang, 2005. "Restricting preferential tax regimes to avoid harmful tax competition," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 493-507, September.
    13. ESTEBAN, Sonia & DE FRUTOS, Pablo & PRIETO; Maria Jose, 2008. "Fiscal Decentralization And Economic Growth. Empiric Evidence From A Regional Perspective," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 8(1), pages 29-58.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zodrow, George R, 2003. "Tax Competition and Tax Coordination in the European Union," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(6), pages 651-671, November.
    2. Huang, Wei Hong & Chen, Yang & Rudkin, Simon, 2014. "Dynamic Fiscal competition with public infrastructure investment: Austerity and attracting capital inflow," RIEI Working Papers 2014-03, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Research Institute for Economic Integration, revised 02 Mar 2016.
    3. Wallace E. Oates & Wallace E. Oates, 2004. "Fiscal and Regulatory Competition: Theory and Evidence," Chapters, in: Environmental Policy and Fiscal Federalism, chapter 11, pages 195-208, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Revelli Federico, 2002. "Neighborhood effects in social service provision. Competition or reflection?," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 200206, University of Turin.
    5. De Borger, B. & Proost, S. & Van Dender, K., 2005. "Congestion and tax competition in a parallel network," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(8), pages 2013-2040, November.
    6. Brekke, Kurt R. & Levaggi, Rosella & Siciliani, Luigi & Straume, Odd Rune, 2014. "Patient mobility, health care quality and welfare," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 140-157.
    7. Oates, Wallace E., 2001. "Fiscal Competition or Harmonization? Some Reflections," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 54(n. 3), pages 507-12, September.
    8. Tamai, Toshiki, 2022. "Tax competition versus tax coordination in a multi-region endogenous growth model with an integrated capital market," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    9. Wilson, John Douglas & Wildasin, David E., 2004. "Capital tax competition: bane or boon," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(6), pages 1065-1091, June.
    10. Oprea Florin, 2010. "Fiscal Federalism And Fiscal Decentralization In An Enlarged European Union," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 623-628, December.
    11. Wallace E. Oates & Wallace E. Oates, 2004. "A Reconsideration of Environmental Federalism," Chapters, in: Environmental Policy and Fiscal Federalism, chapter 7, pages 125-156, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Osterloh, Steffen & Heinemann, Friedrich, 2013. "The political economy of corporate tax harmonization — Why do European politicians (dis)like minimum tax rates?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 18-37.
    13. Batina, Raymond G., 2009. "Local capital tax competition and coordinated tax reform in an overlapping generations economy," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 472-478, July.
    14. Leon Bettendorf & Joeri Gorter & Albert van der Horst, 2006. "Who benefits from tax competition in the European Union?," CPB Document 125, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    15. Hendrik Vrijburg & Ruud Mooij, 2016. "Tax rates as strategic substitutes," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 23(1), pages 2-24, February.
    16. Mark Rider, 2007. "Should Jamaica Tax Corporate Income?," Public Finance Review, , vol. 35(1), pages 103-126, January.
    17. Silke Uebelmesser, 2004. "Harmonisation of Old-age Security Within the European Union," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 50(4), pages 717-743.
    18. Stephan J Goetz & Mark D Partridge & Dan S Rickman & Shibalee Majumdar, 2011. "Sharing the Gains of Local Economic Growth: Race-to-the-Top versus Race-to-the-Bottom Economic Development," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 29(3), pages 428-456, June.
    19. Rui Henrique Alves, 2004. "Europe: Looking for a New Model," FEP Working Papers 154, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    20. Parry, Ian W. H., 2003. "How large are the welfare costs of tax competition?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 39-60, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:54:y:2001:i:3:p:507-12. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: The University of Chicago Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.ntanet.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.