Developments in Local Government Finance: Theory and Policy

Abstract

Part 1 New solutions to old problems: who uses local public services? Need, demand and rationing in action, Glen Bramley on the use of statistical techniques to infer territorial spending needs, Alan Duncan and Peter Smith judgement and analysis - developing indexes of economic and social deprivation for local authority financing, Paul Chapman a model for optimum local authority size, David King. Part 2 Applying theory to the real world: impacts of economic change on a local business tax base - the case of the French taxe professionelle, Remy Prud'homme local public spending in France - the case of welfare programmes at the department level, Guy Gilbert and Yvon Rocaboy authorities expenditure behaviour in Italy and regional differences, Rosella Levaggi the short-period macroeconomic incidence and effects of state and local taxes, Anthony Laramie and Douglas Mair. Part 3 Local government and local policy-making - autonomy and constraints: changing perceptions of the role of local government with particular reference to the United Kingdom, Peter Else governance of two national health services - Italy and UK compared, George France local autonomy and the European Union structural fund transfers - the special case of regional policy, Erich Thoeni the requirement of a balanced local budget - theory and evidence from the Swiss experience, Bernard Dafflon. Part 4 Fiscal issues for existing and future federations: the political economy of state and local tax structure, Howard Chernick and Andrew Reschovsky European integration and local government finance, Stephen Smith tax harmonization and tax competition at state-local levels - lessons from Switzerland, Werner Pommerehne and Gebhard Kirchgassner.