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How Well Do Subnational Borrowing Regulations Work?

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Abstract
There are many positive things associated with subnational borrowing, including additional funding or promoting intergenerational equity. But it may also endanger fiscal sustainability and macro stability due to moral hazard and soft budget constraints. Thus borrowing controls are justified and also common. In this paper we review the different types of ex-ante and ex-post regulations used the international experience based on a large panel of developed and developing countries. Effectiveness or borrowing regulations in this paper is defined relative to the ability to preserve primary balances at the general government and subnational levels. There is a wide variety of both ex-ante and ex-post sub-national borrowing regulations that countries implement. Each has both advantages and disadvantages, with different suitability countries’ circumstances. For example, depth of financial markets is important when choosing market-based regulations. The presence of subnational tax autonomy contributes to an increase in the general government primary balance, but not significantly for subnational primary balances. A history of subnational bailouts is associated with lower primary balances on average at all levels. The “golden rule” (borrowing is only for capital investment purposes) and limits on debt and borrowing appear effective at all levels of government. However, we find that none of the broad types of sub-national borrowing regulations seem to have a distinct significant direct effect on the narrow definition of fiscal sustainability at the subnational level.

Suggested Citation

  • Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Violeta Vulovic, 2016. "How Well Do Subnational Borrowing Regulations Work?," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1601, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper1601
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    2. Santiago Lago-Peñas & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Agnese Sacchi, 2020. "Fiscal stability during the Great Recession: putting decentralization design to the test," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(7), pages 919-930, July.
    3. Vasvári, Tamás & Pocsai, Erzsébet, 2024. "Kontrollok az önkormányzati hitelezésben - az elmúlt évtized tanulságai [Controls in municipal borrowing in Hungary - A decade of experience]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(9), pages 881-914.
    4. Juan Pablo Jiménez & Leonardo Letelier & Ignacio Ruelas & Jaime Bonet-Morón, 2021. "Reglas fiscales subnacionales: Revisión empírica, experiencias internacionales y sus desafíos en la nueva institucionalidad fiscal post COVID," Documentos de trabajo sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 300, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    5. Tsuyoshi Goto & Genki Yamamoto, 2018. "Creative Accounting and Municipal Mergers -A Theoretical and Empirical Approach-," OSIPP Discussion Paper 18E012, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    6. Paul Smoke, 2019. "Improving Subnational Government Development Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies: Towards a Strategic Approach," Working Papers id:13007, eSocialSciences.
    7. Smoke, Paul, 2019. "Improving Subnational Government Development Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies: Toward a Strategic Approach," ADBI Working Papers 921, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    8. Rahul Pathak, 2023. "Do Subnational Fiscal Rules Reduce Public Investment? The Case of Fiscal Responsibility Laws in India," Public Finance Review, , vol. 51(3), pages 315-338, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Decentralization; Subnational Borrowing; Borrowing Rules and Regulations JEL classification: H70; H74; H63; H81;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General
    • H74 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Borrowing
    • H81 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Governmental Loans; Loan Guarantees; Credits; Grants; Bailouts

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