Efficient Revenue Sharing and Upper-Level Governments: Theory and Application to Germany

Abstract

This paper explores conditions under which revenue-sharing grants will achieve efficiency. We develop a general formulation of the state's decision problem of implementing a set of local policies. A theoretical analysis shows that if the state government pursues own policies and cannot levy lump-sum contributions from local jurisdictions, it will implement revenue-sharing grants that induce local governments to raise local tax rates. A subsequent empirical analysis of local tax policy in Germany suggests that attempts by state-level governments to extract fiscal resources from local governments result in higher tax rates at the local level. (JEL: H71, H77)