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Examining the relationship between municipal consolidation and cost reduction: an instrumental variable approach

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  • Takeshi Miyazaki

Abstract

This study explores the cost-reduction effects of local government consolidation, using data from Japanese municipalities. We use municipal panel data from Japan for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, a data set including numerous consolidation cases. Reverse causality between consolidation decisions and size of municipal expenditure is a concern in the voluntary consolidation of local governments. An instrumental variable (IV) methodology is employed to deal with possible endogeneity associated with consolidation decisions. The main finding is that municipal current expenditure per capita increases immediately after consolidation, but then gradually declines. Because consolidation seems to increase per capita expenditure in the absence of the effect of this long-term declining trend, incorporating this trend into estimation is crucial in cost-efficiency analysis of consolidation. It is also shown that conventional panel data regressions yield biased consolidation effects, suggesting the superiority of the IV approach.

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  • Takeshi Miyazaki, 2018. "Examining the relationship between municipal consolidation and cost reduction: an instrumental variable approach," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(10), pages 1108-1121, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:50:y:2018:i:10:p:1108-1121
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2017.1352077
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    Cited by:

    1. Hirota, Haruaki & Iwata, Kazuyuki & Tanaka, Kenta, 2022. "Is public official training effective at reducing costs? Evidence from survey data on Japanese municipal mergers," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 145-158.
    2. 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).
    3. Tsuyoshi Goto, 2023. "Do municipal mergers reduce public expenditure? Evidence from the MTE approach," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 43(3), pages 1366-1376.
    4. Goto, Tsuyoshi & Yamamoto, Genki, 2023. "Debt issuance incentives and creative accounting: Evidence from municipal mergers in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    5. Juan Luis Gómez-Reino & Santiago Lago-Peñas & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2021. "Evidence on Economies of Scale in Local Public Service Provision: A Meta-Analysis," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper2116, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    6. Douglas Coate, 2022. "Housing values in New Jersey and the Prospects for Municipal Consolidation," Working Papers Rutgers University, Newark 2022-002, Department of Economics, Rutgers University, Newark.
    7. Takeshi Miyazaki, 2021. "Economies of Scope and Local Government Expenditure: Evidence from Creation of Specially Authorized Cities in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-22, March.
    8. Acuff, Christopher, 2023. "More Money or More Problems? Assessing the Fiscal Impact of Consolidation in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia," SocArXiv as3pb, Center for Open Science.
    9. Gissur Ó Erlingsson & Jonas Klarin & Eva Maria Mörk, 2021. "Does Size Matter? Evidence from Municipality Break-Ups," CESifo Working Paper Series 9042, CESifo.

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