Does intermunicipal cooperation promote efficiency gains? : Evidence from Italian municipal unions

Ferraresi, Massimiliano and Migali, Giuseppe and Rizzo, Leonzio (2018) Does intermunicipal cooperation promote efficiency gains? : Evidence from Italian municipal unions. Journal of Regional Science, 58 (5). pp. 1017-1044. ISSN 0022-4146

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Abstract

Inter-municipal cooperation is a common way to provide local public services, exploit economies of scale and internalize externalities. However, little is known about possible efficiency gains. We test their existence in terms of local public expenditures reductions, by investigating the Italian experience of municipal unions. We adopt quasi-experimental methodologies using administrative data on municipalities in the Emilia Romagna region. We find that being in a municipal union reduces the total per capita current expenditures by around 5 percent, without affecting the level of local public services. The effect is robust, persistent and increasing up to six years after entrance.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Regional Science
Additional Information:
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ferraresi M, Migali G, Rizzo L. Does intermunicipal cooperation promote efficiency gains? Evidence from Italian municipal unions. J Reg Sci. 2018;58:1017–1044. https://doi.org/10.1111/jors.12388 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jors.12388 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3303
Subjects:
?? municipal union cooperationpublic expendituredifference-in-differencesmatchingdevelopmentenvironmental science (miscellaneous) ??
ID Code:
124310
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
29 Mar 2018 13:56
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
11 Aug 2024 00:06