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Block Grants and Education Expenditure

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  • Ergete Ferede
  • Shahidul Islam

Abstract

This article investigates the effects of block grants on education expenditures using panel data from Canadian provinces over the period 1982 to 2008. Our main empirical identification strategy relies on the use of the allocation formula for equalization grant—a component of the Canadian federal block grant. The results indicate that block grants have stimulative effects on provincial education expenditure. Our results suggest that a one dollar increase in per capita federal grants is associated with an increase in per capita education expenditure of about Can$0.21, which is roughly proportional to the share of education in total provincial spending. The results are robust to various sensitivity checks.

Suggested Citation

  • Ergete Ferede & Shahidul Islam, 2016. "Block Grants and Education Expenditure," Public Finance Review, , vol. 44(5), pages 635-659, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:44:y:2016:i:5:p:635-659
    DOI: 10.1177/1091142115602064
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Cruz, Tassia & Silva, Talita, 2020. "Minimum Spending in Education and the Flypaper Effect," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Antti Saastamoinen & Mika Kortelainen, 2020. "When Does Money Stick in Education? Evidence from A Kinked Grant Rule," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 15(4), pages 708-735, Fall.

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