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On Fiscal Illusion in Local Public Finance: Re-Examining Ricardian Equivalence and the Renter Effect

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  • H. Spencer Banzhaf
  • Wallace E. Oates

Abstract

We reevaluate fiscal illusion in local public finance. The Ricardian Equivalence Theorem suggests that the financing of a public program using either taxation or debt shouldn’t affect outcomes, because debt is capitalized into property values. In contrast, we show individuals may rationally prefer public debt if governments can borrow on more favorable terms. We also propose a new test for the renter effect: controlling for differences in demand, the renter effect suggests renters prefer property taxes to sales taxes. Using data from U.S. open space referenda, we find that households do prefer debt financing, but find no evidence of the renter effect.

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  • H. Spencer Banzhaf & Wallace E. Oates, 2013. "On Fiscal Illusion in Local Public Finance: Re-Examining Ricardian Equivalence and the Renter Effect," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 66(3), pages 511-540, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:66:y:2013:i:3:p:511-540
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2013.3.01
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    Cited by:

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    2. Dagney Faulk & Larita Killian, 2017. "Special Districts and Local Government Debt: An Analysis of “Old Northwest Territory” States," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 112-134, March.
    3. Banzhaf, H. Spencer & Mickey, Ryan & Patrick, Carlianne, 2021. "Age-based property tax exemptions," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    4. Martin Micheli, 2020. "Local governments’ indebtedness and its impact on real estate prices," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(5), pages 1032-1048, April.
    5. Francois Facchini, 2018. "What Are the Determinants of Public Spending? An Overview of the Literature," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 46(4), pages 419-439, December.
    6. Sutirtha Bagchi, 2021. "The effects of political competition on the funding of public‐sector pension plans," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 50(3), pages 691-725, September.
    7. Barseghyan, Levon & Coate, Stephen, 2023. "Financing local public projects," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    8. Sutirtha Bagchi, 2017. "The Effects of Political Competition on the Funding of Public-Sector Pension Plans (Revised June 2020)," Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series 36, Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics.
    9. Bagchi, Sutirtha, 2019. "The effects of political competition on the generosity of public-sector pension plans," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 439-468.
    10. Marco Bassetto & Leslie McGranahan, 2021. "Mobility, Population Growth, and Public Capital Spending in the United States," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 41, pages 255-277, July.
    11. Arbel, Yuval & Fialkoff, Chaim & Kerner, Amichai, 2017. "Removal of renter's illusion: Property tax compliance among renters and owner-occupiers," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 150-174.
    12. Glaeser, Edward L. & Ponzetto, Giacomo A.M., 2014. "Shrouded costs of government: The political economy of state and local public pensions," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 89-105.
    13. Trang Hoang & Craig S. Maher, 2022. "Fiscal condition, institutional constraints, and public pension contribution: are pension contribution shortfalls fiscal illusion?," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 93-124, December.
    14. Ahmet Salih İkiz, 2020. "Testing the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem: Time Series Evidence from Turkey," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-20, August.
    15. Eunji Kim & Yoonhee Ha & Sangheon Kim, 2017. "Public Debt, Corruption and Sustainable Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-30, March.
    16. Robert C. MacKay, 2017. "The Impact of Fiscal Stress on Local Government Fiscal Structures: An Event Study of the Orange County Bankruptcy," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 102-124, June.
    17. Brunner, Eric J. & Ross, Stephen L. & Simonsen, Becky K., 2015. "Homeowners, renters and the political economy of property taxation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 38-49.
    18. Robert C. MacKay, 2014. "Implicit Debt Capitalization in Local Housing Prices: An Example of Unfunded Pension Liabilities," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 67(1), pages 77-112, March.
    19. Brian K. Strow & Claudia W. Strow, 2024. "Foreign-Born Residents and the Optimal Provision of Public Goods: An Application of Lindahl Pricing and Tiebout Sorting," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 39(Summer 20), pages 31-56.
    20. Agnieszka Kozera & Aldona Standar & Łukasz Satoła, 2020. "Managing Rural Areas in the Context of the Growing Debt of Polish Local Government Units," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-25, August.
    21. Lenka Malicka, 2021. "The Mill Hypothesis Examination on the EU Sample," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 17(2), pages 47-58.
    22. Roberto Dell’Anno & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2019. "A problem with observational equivalence: Disentangling the renter illusion hypothesis," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(1), pages 193-209, January.

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