In a decentralized setting, are policy targets imposed by the central government on local elected officials effective? And when? We address these questions in Italy, where the central government has set a target for childcare coverage at the municipal level for Southern regions since 2007. We first implement a difference-in-differences estimator where the municipalities already complying with the target comprise the control group. We then implement a triple-difference estimator with the additional control group of municipalities in the bordering Central regions. Our results show that elected officials comply with the target mainly when it is coherent with voters’ preferences (as measured by the characteristics of the resident female population) and in reaction to political incentives (as measured by partisan alignment among levels of government).

Central targets and local agendas: missing Lisbon 2010 / Antonelli, MARIA ALESSANDRA; Grembi, Veronica. - ELETTRONICO. - 6(2014), pp. 1-34. - PUBLIC FINANCE RESEARCH PAPERS.

Central targets and local agendas: missing Lisbon 2010

ANTONELLI, MARIA ALESSANDRA;GREMBI VERONICA
2014

Abstract

In a decentralized setting, are policy targets imposed by the central government on local elected officials effective? And when? We address these questions in Italy, where the central government has set a target for childcare coverage at the municipal level for Southern regions since 2007. We first implement a difference-in-differences estimator where the municipalities already complying with the target comprise the control group. We then implement a triple-difference estimator with the additional control group of municipalities in the bordering Central regions. Our results show that elected officials comply with the target mainly when it is coherent with voters’ preferences (as measured by the characteristics of the resident female population) and in reaction to political incentives (as measured by partisan alignment among levels of government).
2014
Central targets and local agendas: missing Lisbon 2010
Central targets; Political Incentives; Local Politicians; Difference-in- Difference-in-Difference
02 Pubblicazione su volume::02a Capitolo o Articolo
Central targets and local agendas: missing Lisbon 2010 / Antonelli, MARIA ALESSANDRA; Grembi, Veronica. - ELETTRONICO. - 6(2014), pp. 1-34. - PUBLIC FINANCE RESEARCH PAPERS.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/638989
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