Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/24093
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2004
Series/Report no.: 
ZEW Discussion Papers No. 04-86
Publisher: 
Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW), Mannheim
Abstract: 
Drawing on recent work on the creation and breakup of countries, this paper examines the impact of economic and political integration on the vertical government structure. It argues that by increasing the market size and the benefits from the decentralized provision of public goods, integration might have triggered the recent process of fiscal decentralization in OECD countries. Based on a theoretical framework, the empirical panel analysis relates the degree of public sector decentralization to economic and European integration, controlling for inter-regional heterogeneity, economies of scale, and institutions. The results found mostly support a decentralizing effect of economic and European integration, particularly in the context of preference heterogeneity, whereas participation of sub-national governments in central decision-making is associated with increasing centralization.
Subjects: 
Fiscal Decentralization
Economic Integration
European Union
?Sandwich? Hypothesis
JEL: 
H77
H72
F15
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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