Política presupuestaria y elecciones

El carácter cíclico de las elecciones ha originado el estudio del efecto que esta periodicidad puede ejercer sobre la política fiscal de los gobiernos, surgiendo así el análisis del Ciclo Político Presupuestario (CPP). El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar un repaso de la literatura existente sobre los cambios en la política presupuestaria con origen en las elecciones, motivados principalmente por un comportamiento oportunista de los gobernantes. Además se analizan cuestiones como los determinantes de la magnitud de los ciclos o su efecto sobre la reelección de los gobiernos. La literatura muestra que, además de incrementos en el gasto antes de las elecciones o recortes de impuestos, algunos gobernantes cambian la composición del gasto preelectoral con el objetivo de conseguir más votos. Sin embargo, este tipo de comportamientos oportunistas no siempre se traduce en una recompensa para los gobernantes. Asimismo, cabe destacar que factores tales como el nivel de desarrollo del país, el nivel de transparencia fiscal o la libertad de los medios de comunicación son algunos de los factores que pueden influir en el tamaño de los CPP, siendo fundamentalmente en las democracias más recientes, en donde la falta de información por parte de los votantes, hace que se produzcan este tipo de comportamientos oportunistas.The cyclical nature of elections has aroused interest in how the electoral calendar affects government fiscal policy, and has motivated analysis of the Political Budget Cycle (PBC). The aim of this paper is to provide a literature review, and to develop a database gathering the most relevant results on changes in fiscal policy originated by elections, primarily motivated by governments’ opportunistic behaviour. We also analyse issues such as what determines cycle magnitude or its effect on the probability of governments’ reelection. The literature shows that in addition to spending increases or tax cuts before elections, some governments change the composition of pre-election spending in an attempt to win more votes. However, this type of opportunistic behavior does not always bring rewards. The literature also reports that level of development of the country, level of fiscal transparency, and media freedom are some of the factors that can influence the length of the PBC. It is mainly in emerging democracies where the lack of information made available to voters leads to such opportunistic behaviour on the part of the government

La eficiencia de los municipios españoles durante el período de crisis

En este trabajo se analiza la eficiencia en costes de los gobiernos locales españoles durante el período de la crisis económica (2008-2012). Los resultados indican una mejora general de la eficiencia a lo largo del período, es decir, los gobiernos locales son más eficientes en tiempos de crisis. Asimismo, el análisis muestra que los niveles de eficiencia varían en función del tamaño de los gobiernos locales, siendo los municipios de mayor tamaño los más eficientes

Output complexity, environmental conditions, and the efficiency of municipalities

Over the last few years, many studies have analyzed the efficiency of local governments in different countries. An accurate definition of their output bundles—i.e., the services and facilities they provide to their constituencies—is essential to this research. However, several difficulties emerge in this task. First, since in most cases the law only establishes the minimum amount of services and facilities to provide, it may well be the case that some municipalities go beyond the legal minimum and, consequently, might have an uncertain effect on efficiency when compared to other municipalities which stick to the legal minimum. Second, municipalities face very different environmental conditions, which raises some doubts about the plausibility of an unconditional analysis. This study tackles these problems by proposing an analysis in which the efficiency of municipalities is evaluated after splitting them into clusters according to various criteria (output mix, environmental conditions, level of powers). We perform our estimations using order-m frontiers, given their robustness to outliers and immunity to the curse of dimensionality. We provide an application to Spanish municipalities, and results show that both output mix and, more especially, environmental conditions, should be controlled for, since efficiency differences between municipalities in different groups are notable

On the determinants of local government debt: Does one size fit all?

This paper analyzes the factors that directly influence levels of debt in Spanish local governments. Specifically, the main objective is to find out the extent to which indebtedness is originated by controllable factors that public managers can influence, or whether it hinges on other variables beyond managers’ control. The importance of this issue has intensified since the start of the crisis in 2007, due to the abrupt decline of revenues and, simultaneously, to the stagnation (or even increase) in the levels of costs facing these institutions face. Results can be explored from multiple perspectives, given that the set of explanatory factors is also multiple. However, the most striking result relates to the varying effect of each covariate depending on each municipality’s specific debt level, which suggests that economic policy recommendations should not be homogeneous across local governmen

Output complexity, environmental conditions, and the efficiency of municipalities: a robust approach

Over the last few years, many studies have analyzed the productive efficiency of local governments in different countries. An accurate definition of their output bundles -i.e., the services and facilities they provide to their constituencies- is essential to this research. However, several difficulties emerge in this task. First, since in most cases the law only establishes the minimum amount of services and facilities to provide, it may well be the case that some municipalities go beyond the legal minimum and, consequently, might be labeled as inefficient when compared to other municipalities which stick to the legal minimum. Second, municipalities face very different environmental conditions, which raises some doubts about the plausibility of an unconditional analysis. This study tackles these problems by proposing a metafrontier analysis in which the efficiency of municipalities is evaluated after splitting them into clusters according to various criteria (output mix, environmental conditions, size). We perform our estimations using order-m frontiers, given their robustness to outliers and immunity to the curse of dimensionality. We provide an application to Spanish municipalities, and results show that both output mix and, more especially, environmental conditions, should be controlled for, since efficiency differences between municipalities in different groups are notable.Durante los últimos años muchos trabajos han venido analizando la eficiencia productiva de las corporaciones locales de una gran variedad de países. Para este tipo de estudios resulta crucial una definición precisa de los servicios e infraestructuras que los municipios proporcionan a sus ciudadanos. Sin embargo, esta tarea presenta varias dificultades. En primer lugar, dado que en muchas circunstancias la ley únicamente establece los servicios mínimos que debe proporcionar un municipio, puede darse el caso de que algunos municipios vayan más allá de este mínimo legal y, consecuentemente, sean clasificados como ineficientes al compararlos con otros municipios que se ciñen al mínimo. En segundo lugar, las corporaciones locales operan en condiciones ambientales muy dispares, lo cual genera dudas acerca de la factibilidad de un análisis incondicional. Este trabajo aborda estas cuestiones proponiendo un análisis metafrontera en el que la eficiencia de las corporaciones locales se evalúa tras clasificarlas en distintos grupos de acuerdo con criterios múltiples (output mix, condiciones ambientales, tamaño). Las estimaciones son llevadas a cabo utilizando fronteras orden-m, debido a la robustez que presentan frente a observaciones atípicas y la inmunidad a la “maldición de la dimensionalidad” (curse of dimensionality). Llevamos a cabo una aplicación a los municipios españoles, y los resultados indican que tanto el output mix como, sobre todo, las condiciones ambientales, deberían ser tenidas en cuenta al evaluar la eficiencia, pues las diferencias en la eficiencia de los municipios en los distintos grupos son notables

Searching for the optimal territorial structure: the case of Spanish provincial councils

Modern states are organized in multi-level governance structures with economic and political authorities dispersed across them. However, although there is relatively widespread consensus that this form of organization is preferable to a centralized authority, the same cannot be said about its jurisdictional design—that is, how to transfer authority from central states to both supranational and subnational levels. This lack of consensus also exists in contexts with explicit initiatives to strengthen political ties such as the European Union (EU), and even within EU member countries, a situation that is aggravated by the relative scarcity of contributions that measure the advantages and disadvantages of different territorial organizations. We explore these issues through a study of one EU country, Spain, whose provincial councils (diputaciones) are often the subject of debate and controversy due to their contribution to increasing public spending and their purported inefficiencies, corruption, and lack of transparency. Specifically, we combine a variety of activity analysis techniques to evaluate how they impact on local government performance. Results suggest that, in general, the presence of a provincial council has a positive impact on local government performance, but when their activity levels are too high the effect can become pernicious

Quality of government and economic growth at the municipal level: Evidence from Spain

This paper analyzes the relationship between government efficiency—an important dimension of quality of government—and economic growth at the municipal level in 1,820 Spanish municipalities during the period 2008–2015. At this level of disaggregation, the literature is virtually nonexistent due to severe data constraints. The efficiency of local government provides an accurate indicator of how good local authorities are in managing their budget. This variable is expected to be highly correlated with other more traditional quality of government indicators, such as corruption. After computing our measure, we then use it in a growth regression framework. We find a dominant positive effect of government efficiency on income per capita growth, which is robust to a wide variety of scenarios. Our findings also suggest that increases in local government quality are particularly rewarding for the poorest municipalities.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

Applying the Project-Based Learning Approach in the Degree in Public Management and Administration at the University Jaume I (Spain): A Pilot Design of Degree-Based Integrative Project

Ponència presentada a 10th International Technology, Education and Development ConferenceThe Public Management and Administration (PMA) degree at the Universitat Jaume I (Castellon, Spain) (UJI) is relatively new, in July of 2016, the first four years cycle (2011-2012 to 2015-2016) will be completed; and the first six years evaluation process by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation will take place in 2018. This degree was designed according the Bologna degree structure adapted for Spain by the corresponding statute law: four years or 240 European Credit Transfer System credits. Its main career opportunities are ranging from the local until European and international administration and in the private sector too. Since 2011, the degree has three main problems: (1) almost the 30% of new students mark the PMA degree as second or third option in the registration process; (2) the enrollment rate has a negative trend; and (3) there is a high average of relinquishments. Every year there are 70 new positions available. However, the rate has gone down from 64 (91%) in 2011 to 37 (53%) in 2015. In addition, an average of 12% of students leaves this degree at the end of the second semester. The most of them changes to different studies and/or universities because PMA was not motivating for them. UJI authorities are very worried about the risk of continuity in this degree. In our EDULEARN 2014 communication, we described the two years of experience in running PMA, and we proposed some measures to fight against the lack of student’s motivation (problems 1 and 3). Nonetheless, after four years of experience, we think that new strategies are needed to solve the negative enrollment trend (problem 2). We also think that one of causes of problem 2 could be the low visibility of PMA in the social and high school environment of UJI, and the lack of interest in some high school staff charged of mentoring students about college issues. Therefore, in order to increase the degree visibility, some institutional measures, as increasing efforts to broadcast the PMA degree knowledge (open doors journeys, visiting schools, etc.) to the High schools’ staff and students, are needed. But, to enhance the degree attractiveness, some academic strategies have to be applied. The study attractiveness comes from different sources: institution prestige, very (old and) consolidated career, current professional interests, very good quality and organization, etc. In our case, among different strategies, we found that the Project-Based Learning (PBL) is the appropriate approach for making PMA more comprehensive and coherent along the four academic years. It is possible to design a project roadmap which starts from the first semester and goes to the Degree Thesis, involving the more subjects per semester as possible. First semester students can start with a basic administration project which supervision and evaluation is split on selected subjects along the following semesters, adding new requirements in order to increase the project complexity and/or specify. That could become a Degree Thesis if all parts agree to extend and enhance it during seventh and eighth semesters. PBL allow to students gaining a wide and consolidated vision of the degree and distributing efforts along the eight semesters. The aim of this work is fully describe a pilot design process, with requirements, methods, techniques, and time sequence of PBL cases. This work would be a draft for the future official revision of the PMA degree

Devolution dynamics of Spanish local government

Over the last few years, ther has been a devolutionary tendency in many developed and developing countries. In this article we propose a methodology to decompose whether the benefits in terms of effciency derived from transfers of powers from higher to municipal levels of government "the "economic dividend" of devolution) might increase over time. This methodology is based on linear programming approaches for effciency measurement. We provide anapplication to Spanish municipalities, which have had to adapt to both the European Stability and Growth Pact as well as to domestic regulation seeking local governments balanced budget. Results indicate that efficiency gains from enhaced decentralization have increased over time. However, the way through which these gains accrue differs across municipalities -in some cases technical change is the main component, whereas in others catching up dominates

On the determinants of local government debt: Does one size fit all?

This paper analyzes the factors that directly influence levels of debt in Spanish local governments. Specifically, the main objective is to find out the extent to which indebtedness is originated by controllable factors that public managers can influence, or whether it hinges on other variables beyond managers’ control. The importance of this issue has intensified since the start of the crisis in 2007, due to the abrupt decline of revenues and, simultaneously, to the stagnation (or even increase) in the levels of costs facing these institutions face. Results can be explored from multiple perspectives, given that the set of explanatory factors is also multiple. However, the most interesting result relates to the varying effect of each covariate depending on each municipality’s specific debt level, which suggests that economic policy recommendations should not be homogeneous across local governments