Discussion paper

DP899 On the Optimal Structure of Local Governments

Jacques-François Thisse David Pines Oded Hochman

31 Mar 1994

We show that space matters in designing the optimal provision of local public goods (LPGs). Geography imposes particular institutional structure of local governments due to the overlapping of market areas associated with different LPGs. The optimum can be decentralized through local governments that have jurisdiction over market areas of all LPG-types. This implies that the appropriate suppliers of LPGs are metropolitan approach invalidates the prevailing theory of fiscal federalism, according to which a layer of government should be established for each type of LPG.

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Citation

Thisse, J, D Pines and O Hochman (1994), ‘DP899 On the Optimal Structure of Local Governments‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 899. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp899