China's Fiscal Decentralization and Regional Economic Growth

The present paper applies Lucas's theory of endogenous growth and Stiglitz's theory of local public goods to build an econometric model consisting of five simultaneous equations to study China's fiscal decentralization effects on regional economic growth. The model is estimated by two‐stage least squares using a set of panel data on 31 Chinese provinces during 1996–2005. The estimated results show that China's fiscal decentralization increased the local governments' expenditure on physical infrastructure and education, which led to the rising local physical capital stock and human capital levels, respectively, and then resulted in the growth of regional economies.     

Government size,decentralization and growth: empirical evidence from Italian regions

The aim of this study is to empirically assess the relationship among government size, decentralization and economic growth in Italian ordinary regions. The empirical analysis, based on a panel dataset on Italian regions, provides evidence in support of the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between public expenditure and economic growth, that depends on the degree of fiscal decentralization. In particular, according to our estimates on the specific Italian case, the optimal degree of decentralization is around 32%, while the optimal government size value is approximately 52%.     

The role of Provincial Government Spending Composition in growth and convergence in China

China’s development policy since 1978 has differed across regions. With rapid aggregate growth has come widening regional inequality. The fiscal decentralisation reforms in 1994 shifted political pressure onto provincial officials to boost local growth through local public investments. These investments affect regional convergence by counteracting regulatory frictions in factor accumulation, and can also determine steady-state growth. However, the effect of public spending allocations across physical and human capital on growth and convergence processes is empirically unexplored for Chinese provinces. We take provincial time-series data on public spending by category, finding local public spending and its components augment convergence rates differently across regions. Spending on education and health contributes significantly more to growth and convergence than capital spending, confirming that the public capital-spending bias is not a local growth-optimising strategy. We suggest a policy of aligning local government promotion incentives to human capital targets to correct local resource misallocation.     

中国式分权下的区域创新绩效研究---基于资源获取与资源配置视角的分析

依据资源基础理论,财政自主权作为一种有价值、稀缺、不可完全模仿、组织可利用的财政资源,是地方政府取得良好区域创新绩效的来源;使用2007—2016年中国分省(自治区、直辖市)的面板数据,实证检验了财政分权对区域创新绩效的影响。研究发现:①财政分权对区域创新绩效具有显著的正向影响,在考虑财政分权异质性、创新绩效异质性、创新强度、内生性等问题后,结果依然稳健;②地方政府在运用支出自主权为获取良好的区域创新绩效时,存在"软约束"问题,即收入分权对支出分权与区域创新绩效之间的关系具有约束作用但不显著,可能的原因在于转移支付的"公共池"效应与创新锁定效应。     

中国财政分权、金融发展、 工业化与经济增长的省际差异

本文采用1978-2006年中国28个地区的省际面板数据建立了检验财政分权、金融发展、工业化与经济增长之间长期关系的协整模型（co integration model）,并采用完全修正的最小二乘法（FMOLS）对模型进行估计。本文把地方政府官员参与政治晋升锦标赛竞争的行为影响经济绩效的假设引入对分权化改革过程的分析,对中国改革开放以来地方政府之间的竞争何以在促成经济总量高速增长的同时又导致各地区在财政分权、金融发展、工业化和经济增长方面呈现出差异的原因进行了分析,进而得出本文的分析结论并对其政策含义进行了讨论。     

The tradeoff between growth and equity in decentralization policy: China's experience

This paper investigates the potential tradeoff between economic growth and regional equity in the design of fiscal decentralization policy in the context of China's experience. We develop a theoretical model of fiscal decentralization, where overall national economic growth and equity in the regional distribution of fiscal resources are the two objectives pursued by the central government. The model is tested using panel data for 1985–98. We find that fiscal decentralization in China has led to economic growth as well as to significant increases in regional inequality.     

PUBLIC CAPITAL, PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY AND CONVERGENCE IN THE SPANISH REGIONS (1964–93)

This paper analyses the behaviour of productive efficiency in the Spanish regions for the period 1964–93. From a growth accounting approach, it describes the regional evolution of total factor productivity (TFP'), based on a private inputs production function. A stricter measure of efficiency is then quantified, which is not equivalent to Solow's residual, since public capital is included in the production function and constant returns to scale are not imposed. Finally, on the basis of the measures of total factor productivity and efficiency, the study discusses the existence of technological convergence among Spanish regions and the role played in it by public capital. The renewed interest in the analysis of the process of growth reflected in economic literature in recent years has also occurred in the case of the Spanish economy, with some peculiarities which are worth mentioning. In the 1980s, two important institutional changes took place: a profound political and administrative decentralization, the regions now being autonomous in many decisions on public expenditure, and the incorporation of Spain into the European Community, which as it is well known has a powerful regional policy. Both changes have meant that the analysis of regional economies, and especially their growth paths, have received much more attention from politicians and economists, and even from the population in general. In particular, intense discussion has taken place regarding the effects of development policies and on criteria for geographical distribution of infrastructures. In both cases, much attention has been paid to discussing their capacity to contribute to convergence among the different regions. As a consequence of this greater interest in the analysis of growth from a regional perspective, efforts have also been made to improve the relevant statistical information. In particular, statistical series have been drawn up for investment and accumulated capital stock in each region, both private and public.' This information, only recently available and the first of its kind, as far as we know, in the European regions, substantially broadens the possibilities of research into the Spanish case in this field, where before not even the simplest exercises in growth accounting could be attempted. Further-more, since the series now available allow the time dimension of growth analysis to be combined with the regional dimension, it is possible to work with a panel of data and apply the corresponding techniques. This article analyses the growth of the Spanish economy over the period 1964–93, during which it can be observed that the per capita income levels of the Spanish regions converged. The objective of the study is to evaluate this process of convergence in income from the perspective of the productive efficiency of the regions, in three different ways. First, Section I considers the importance of the contributions of the private factors of production and of improvements in total factor productivity to the growth of output. Secondly, section II studies the existing relationship between the standard measure of efficiency (Solow's residual or TFP') and a stricter measure when the endowments of public capital are considered. Section III analyses whether or not the convergence in per capita income     

税收竞争、地区博弈及其增长绩效

中国的财政分权改革激发了地方政府推进本地区经济发展的积极性,但不恰当的分权路径也加剧了地区间的税收竞争。本文运用空间滞后模型,对中国省际间的税收竞争与博弈行为进行检验。研究显示,省际间税收竞争反应函数斜率为负,这说明省际间在税收竞争中采取的是差异化竞争策略;同时也意味着地方政府目前对公共产品的偏好较低。而对省际间税收竞争增长绩效的格兰杰因果检验则显示,公共服务水平对地区经济增长率具有显著的促进作用,并且地方政府的征税努力与其财政充裕状况直接相关。为此,本文提出应加快地区基本公共服务的均等化和转移支付的法制化进程,努力打破数量型增长的政绩观,从制度层面营造地区间协调有序的竞争关系。     

地方财政支出与区域经济收敛

经济增长的收敛模式在全国范围内没有绝对收敛,也没有条件收敛.三大地区中只有东部地区存在俱乐部收敛现象.地方财政支出总体上没有达到缩小地区经济差距的效果,并且突出表现在中部地区.地方科教文卫支出和社会保障支出比重的提升有利于区域经济收敛,地方行政管理费用则应该压缩.     

中国的财政分权与经济增长——基于省级面板数据的实证

在Barro、Davoodi和Zou模型的基础上,本文构造了一个财政分权与经济增长关系的模型,并利用1980-2004年省级面板数据,采用随机效应回归方法,分阶段实证研究了我国财政分权对经济增长的影响.实证研究发现,财政分权总体上促进了我国的经济增长,而且我国财政分权的经济增长效应存在显著的跨区差异,东部地区的财政分权经济增长优势高于中西部地区.作者认为,财政分权体制下地方政府财政行为的差异与公共支出构成的差异是造成我国财政分权经济增长效应跨区差异的重要原因.     

增长的政治经济逻辑：政府分权与激励的视角

政府分权是实现我国增长的重要制度安排。本文以中央与地方政府、地方政府与微观主体分权为逻辑起点,以制度-结构-行为-绩效为分析框架,从激励与约束的视角研究地方政府行为。研究认为,在分权激励下,地方会展开“中国式的政府竞争”,并过多的保护资本,而忽视劳动力、土地、环境等要素的产权。非均衡的产权制度在经济发展前期能够实现公众与地方政府的共容利益。随外在约束条件的不断变化,在原有的激励模式下,“包容性增长”被“排斥性增长”所替代。在缺乏公众的约束下,地方政府带来激励偏差会加大。因此,作对地方政府的激励是转变经济发展方式的关键。     

资本性支出分权、公共资本投资构成与经济增长

本文建立一个财政分权框架下的两部门内生增长模型,从理论上分析最优公共资本投资配置及其对经济增长的影响,并以我国全国和省份经济数据为基础对本文理论分析进行实证检验。分析表明,我国公共资本投资构成不尽合理,全国和地方公共物质资本投资比重明显偏低;中央和地方政府间公共资本投资事权划分也欠妥,资本性支出分权水平明显过高。这些结论对于我国今后财政政策的合理调整、政府间事权的科学划分具有重要意义。     

分权、区域竞争与倒U形分权效应曲线研究

财政分权能够促进区域经济增长吗?分权能够一视同仁地促进不同地区相同程度的经济增长吗?文章通过构建区域间追赶模型指出:(1)财政分权在带来区域竞争激励并促进增长的同时,也导致了地方政府行为的异化,从而使得分权的增长效应呈现"倒U形"曲线状.曲线背后的逻辑在于"政治锦标赛"下的竞争压力对不同发展阶段的地区并不一样,不同压力来源可能诱发出地方政府的不同努力水平.(2)利用全国县级面板数据,通过构造四类财政分权指标,证实了分权促进区域内经济增长且依据收入水平的变化呈现倒U形曲线的基本推论.     

Asymmetric Decentralization,Intergovernmental Transfers,and Expenditure Policies of Local Governments

Although China’s asymmetric fiscal decentralization system has been criticized for many years, there have been few studies giving direct evidence of its negative incentives on local government spending policies. By introducing the mechanism of asymmetric decentralization and fiscal transfers to the objective function of local government, this paper studies the incentive effects of asymmetric decentralization and fiscal transfers on spending policies of local governments, and uses the provincial panel data to carry out an empirical test. The conclusion shows that the asymmetric decentralization significantly weakens the incentives of local government to increase social expenditure, and as a solution to asymmetric decentralization, fiscal transfers fail to play a good role. Due to the relatively large income effect, the financing mechanism of fiscal transfers not only significantly reduces the incentives of local government to provide social public goods, but also weakens the constraint effect of fiscal competition on expenditure policies of local governments because of the increase in the relative cost. Although the distribution mechanism of fiscal transfers has a significant positive incentive to local government in regions where the net inflow of fiscal resources is more than zero, because of common pooling effects, the comprehensive effects of fiscal transfers in the distribution of incentives of local governments to provide social public goods are negative in all regions.     

中国区域经济趋同的空间异质性研究——来自空间杜宾分位数面板回归的证据

中国区域经济增长是否存在趋同,已有的实证文献在很大程度上忽视了趋同速率的空间异质性。本文基于新古典经济增长理论,构建空间杜宾面板分位数模型,考察了中国336个地级市经济增长趋同的空间异质性。研究表明,中国各地市经济增长总体上呈趋同状态,趋同速率随分位点增大呈U型。考虑资本在区域间自由流动,中低增长地区储蓄率作用显著降低。高增长地区受到周边经济带动作用小于中低增长地区,因而高增长地区的趋同速率更大。进一步分析发现,南、北方地区,东、西部地区均表现出俱乐部趋同特征,而中部地区内部表现出分异态势,即高增长地区发散,低增长地区趋同的特征。识别区域经济增长的空间异质性,对于政府更好地实施区域协调发展战略,缩小区域经济差异非常重要。     

Decentralization and political institutions

Does fiscal decentralization lead to more efficient governance, better public goods, and higher economic growth? This paper tests Riker's [Riker, W. (1964) “Federalism: Origins, Operation, Significance,” Little, Brown and Co, Boston, MA.] theory that the results of fiscal decentralization depend on the level of countries' political centralization. We analyze cross-section and panel data from up to 75 developing and transition countries for 25 years. Two of Riker's predictions about the role of political institutions in disciplining fiscally-autonomous local politicians are confirmed by the data. 1) Strength of national political parties significantly improves outcomes of fiscal decentralization such as economic growth, quality of government, and public goods provision. 2) In contrast, administrative subordination (i.e., appointing local politicians rather than electing them) does not improve the results of fiscal decentralization.     

Perspectives on the Guaranteed Income,Part I

Strengthening economic, social, and territorial cohesion is a central objective of the European Union. However, disparities between European regions are considerable, and there are doubts as to whether they are likely to be attenuated. In recent years, there has been a growing body of literature that examines the effectiveness of the European Union’s funds for promoting growth and reducing asymmetries among members. We contribute to this literature by examining the conditions under which the European Union’s financial aid may be affecting regional growth. We explore the interactions between transfers and income and other regional characteristics, such as human capital or innovation. We apply this study to a panel of 137 European regions, covering the period from 1995 to 2009. Our conclusions suggest a positive and significant marginal impact of funds only in regions with low levels of human capital and innovation.     

社会资本的经济增长效应

全面而准确地探究社会资本对长期经济增长的影响机制,对提升社会资本在区域经济发展中的地位具有重大的现实意义,但传统的内生增长模型忽略了时间配置对社会资本积累与居民效用的影响.文章将社会资本积累过程内生化,构建了纳入社会资本的水平创新增长模型,综合考虑社会资本和闲暇时间对经济增长的非单调性影响,通过数值模拟发现:社会资本对经济增长具有边际效应递减的促进作用;而闲暇时间与经济增长之间呈现倒U形关系,即适当地增加闲暇时间有利于社会资本积累.文章还基于结构型社会资本的网络嵌入性特征,构建了地级市层面的社会资本测度指标,以验证社会资本具备生产要素的属性.实证结果表明:社会资本对经济增长具有显著的正向影响,其促进作用随着区域内城市经济发展水平的提高而提升;中西部地区社会资本的产出效率高于东部地区,从而间接反映了东部地区社会资本过度集聚的现状;投资水平与技术进步是社会资本影响经济增长的两条重要途径.上述结论为明晰社会资本的经济属性、激发社会资本的经济效益、推动城市集群协调发展以及缩小地区差异提供了有益的借鉴.     

Exports,Supply Constraints and Growth: An Investigation using Regional Data

In this work we first model the role of demand‐ and supply‐side factors (labour market adjustment, productive efficiency) in explaining economic growth. Empirically testing the model, we evaluate why different growth regimes may appear in the 20 Italian administrative regions. This exercise uses a two‐stage econometric approach. Estimates for the elasticity of manufacturing output to exports are obtained from regional time series: a significant long‐run relationship indicates the existence of a demand‐constrained growth regime. We then ascertain whether the regional dispersion of supply‐side factors has an impact on the regional dispersion of growth regimes. The empirical evidence supports our expectations of strong regional differences. Southern regions are less likely to display demand‐constrained regimes. In explanation of these differences, second‐stage analysis reveals that a strong role is played by such efficiency‐enhancing factors as technological innovation, bank diffusion and ‘social capital’. No role is found for labour market rigidities.     

我国区域经济增长收敛的计量分析

本文利用区域面板数据,对1979--2006年我国区域经济增长的收敛性进行了计量分析。研究结果表明,改革开放以来我国区域经济增长不存在绝对收敛趋势,但东、中、西部三大经济带基本上存在收敛趋势,形成了所谓的“收敛俱乐部”现象;在条件收敛回归中,如果控制了投资率、人力资本水平、非国有化水平、对外开放度、基础设施水平和产业结构等经济变量,我国区域经济增长则呈现显著的条件收敛。