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Public Capital Maintenance, Decentralization and U.s. Productivity Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Eugenia Vella
  • Sarantis Kalyvitis

    (DIEES, AUEB)

Abstract

Data published by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office show that over the last fifty years expenditures for infrastructure�s operations and maintenance (O&M) have roughly equalled those for new capital. We use this dataset to investigate the productive impact of public infrastructure spending taking into account its composition for each government level. We find that a rise (fall) in infrastructure expenditures by states and localities (the federal government) would enhance future productivity growth and that the rise in state and local spending should mainly come from additional O&M outlays in the transport sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Eugenia Vella & Sarantis Kalyvitis, 2011. "Public Capital Maintenance, Decentralization and U.s. Productivity Growth," DEOS Working Papers 1126, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:aue:wpaper:1126
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    capital; maintenance; fiscal decentralization; private productivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories

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