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Public Employment and Redistributive Politics: Evidence from Russia’s Regions

Author

Listed:
  • Gimpelson, Vladimir

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Treisman, Daniel

    (University of California, Los Angeles)

  • Monusova, Galina

    (Russian Academy of Science)

Abstract

Public employment grew surprisingly fast in Russia during the 1990s, at a time when total employment was falling. Most of this growth occurred in the country’s 89 regions, and rates varied among them. This paper seeks to explain this variation. Using panel data for 78 regions over 1992-1998 we test several hypotheses. We show that the increase in the share of public employment in total employment has been greatest where unemployment was highest and growing the fastest, in ethnically defined territorial units, and in regions which received larger federal transfers and loans. Regional governors appear to use public employment for several purposes: as a kind of economic insurance to cushion the population against unemployment; as a way of buying votes before elections; and, possibly, as a way of redistributing to minority ethnic groups. Their willingness to use it for any of these is conditioned by the level of federal financial aid they can attract. The paradoxical growth of public employment in Russia appears less a result of ignorant or irresolute central management than a perverse outgrowth of the competitive game of federal politics, in which regional governors use public sector workers as "hostages" to extract transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Gimpelson, Vladimir & Treisman, Daniel & Monusova, Galina, 2000. "Public Employment and Redistributive Politics: Evidence from Russia’s Regions," IZA Discussion Papers 161, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp161
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto Alesina & Reza Baqir & William Easterly, 1999. "Public Goods and Ethnic Divisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(4), pages 1243-1284.
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    3. Albert Alesina & Stephan Danninger & Massimo Rostagno, 2001. "Redistribution Through Public Employment: The Case of Italy," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 48(3), pages 1-2.
    4. Mr. Jeffrey M. Davis & Miss. A Cheasty, 1996. "Fiscal Transition in Countries of the Former Soviet Union: An Interim Assessment," IMF Working Papers 1996/061, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Alesina, Alberto & Baqir, Reza & Easterly, William, 2000. "Redistributive Public Employment," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 219-241, September.
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    7. Cameron, David R., 1978. "The Expansion of the Public Economy: A Comparative Analysis," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 72(4), pages 1243-1261, December.
    8. Alberto Alesina & Nouriel Roubini & Gerald D. Cohen, 1997. "Political Cycles and the Macroeconomy," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262510944, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeni Klugman & John Micklewright & Gerry Redmond, 2002. "Poverty in the Transition: Social expenditures and the working-age poor," Papers inwopa02/18, Innocenti Working Papers.
    2. Andersson, Frederik & Konrad, Kai A., 2001. "Globalization and human capital formation [Globalisierung und Humankapitalinvestitionen]," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Processes and Governance FS IV 01-01, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    3. Marta Curto-Grau, 2014. "Voters’ responsiveness to public employment policies," Working Papers 2014/19, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    4. Marta Curto-Grau, 2014. "Voters’ responsiveness to public employment policies," Working Papers 2014/19, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    regional governments; redistribution; Public employment; wage arrears; Russia; transition; unemployment; trans-fers; wages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • P52 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies

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