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Decentralization, Corruption, and the Unofficial Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Alexeev

    (Indiana University Bloomington)

  • Luba Habodaszova

    (City University/VSM, Bratislava, Slovakia)

Abstract

We analyze the implications of decentralization for the incentives of local governments to provide productivity enhancing local public goods and extort bribes from local entrepreneurs. We show that an increase in the share of locally raised tax revenue left with the local government raises its incentives to provide public goods and brings more entrepreneurs into the official economy. Corruption, measured by the size of bribes that local officials charge entrepreneurs for issuing licenses for operating officially, may increase or decrease, depending on the extent to which public goods enhance the entrepreneur’s productivity. The tests using cross-sectional country-level data support the model’s implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Alexeev & Luba Habodaszova, 2007. "Decentralization, Corruption, and the Unofficial Economy," CAEPR Working Papers 2007-008, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.
  • Handle: RePEc:inu:caeprp:2007008
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    File URL: https://caepr.indiana.edu/RePEc/inu/caeprp/caepr2007-008.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Andreas Buehn & Christian Lessmann & Gunther Markwardt, 2013. "Decentralization and the shadow economy: Oates meets Allingham--Sandmo," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(18), pages 2567-2578, June.
    2. Guych NURYYEV & Charles HICKSON, 2015. "Corruption Centralization, Investments, and Growth: Analysis of 62 countries for 1995-2007," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 15(1), pages 17-30.
    3. Roberto Dell’Anno & Désirée Teobaldelli, 2015. "Keeping both corruption and the shadow economy in check: the role of decentralization," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(1), pages 1-40, February.
    4. Thanh Thuy Vu & Messaoud Zouikri & Bruno Deffains, 2014. "The Interrelationship between Formal and Informal Decentralization and Its Impact on Subcentral Governance Performance: the Case of Vietnam," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 60(3), pages 613-652.
    5. Antonio Bojanic, 2014. "The effect of coca and FDI on the level of corruption in Bolivia," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 23(1), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Alexeev, Michael (Алексеев, Майкл) & Mamedov, Arseny (Мамедов, Арсений) & Fomina, Evgenia (Фомина, Евгения) & Deryugin, Alexander (Дерюгин, Александр), 2017. "Influence of the Main Characteristics of Interbudgetary Relations on the Indicators of Economic Development of the Subjects of the Russian Federation [Влияние Основных Характеристик Межбюджетных От," Working Papers 031717, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    decentralization; local public goods; corruption; unofficial economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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