Fiscal federalism deals with the sharing of resources in a federated nation. Over the years problems about local government finance have become an important aspect of intergovernmental relations. Constitutionally, local government is the third tier of government which exists as an independent entity, possessing some degree of autonomy and…

This paper offers unique rankings of the extent to which fiscal structures of U.S. states contribute to economic growth. The rankings are novel in two key respects: They are well grounded in established growth theory, in which the effect of taxes depends both on the level of taxes and on the composition of expenditures; and they are derived from…

Discusses the merit of using the Representative Tax System to measure state fiscal capacity instead of the traditional measure of per capita income. The conclusion is that the Representative Tax System can play a major role in determining the allocation of federal grants. (MJL)

The three largest cities in Japan--Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya--are used to examine the financial situation of Japanese urban areas. The 1949 Shoup Mission findings and recommendations are reviewed. Demographic data and information on the administrative and the fiscal organization of Japanese cities during the past three decades are presented. Details…

The new Federal revenue sharing proposal has been received with diverse reactions by politicians, economists, and citizens. The program is divided into $5 billion annually in general revenue sharing and $11 billion annually in special revenue sharing. Proposed alternatives to revenue sharing include (1) reduction of Federal taxes, thereby…

The article prepares the ground for an investigation designed to trace the economic effects of intergovernmental transfers by examining the motivations for the expenditure behavior of local governments and anticipates local responses to revenue sharing, both general and special. (Author/NQ)

In addition to describing how general revenue sharing works and what it means for state and local governments in terms of some new responsibilities for managing these revenues, this article attempts to analyze the impact these new responsibilities may have on the management capabilities of local governments. (Author/NQ)

The growing fiscal problems of American cities have drawn new attention to the dual role of the Federal government: on one hand a contributor to current problems; on the other, the main potential source of solutions and financial relief. Federal involvement in urban affairs is far more extensive than is suggested by the handful of explicitly urban…

This study probes the influences behind recent trends in State-local finance and attempts to ferret out the dominant influences that will prevail during the remainder of the seventies. It presents projections of State-local finance for fiscal years 1975 and 1980 that indicate general spending and revenues will grow at a pace that will tend to…

Neither a special revenue sharing plan for education nor the present general revenue sharing plan after which it might be patterned can remove current inequities and fiscal disparities among school districts. Suggests that federal or State aid patterns must include in their distribution plans a consideration of fiscal capacities, expenditure and…

Uses data on each of the 50 states for 1959-60 and 1980-81 to describe the equity situation among states, focusing on revenues per average daily attendance, and estimates the magnitude and nature of the influence of federal monies on the per-pupil revenues. (JW)

Over the past two decades, direct payments from the Federal Government to local governments has increased more than sixfold as a percentage of the revenues local governments raise on their own. Both the Ford budget and the Carter budget revisions for 1977 and 1978 contain policy changes with important implications for cities. In this document…

New directions in federal educational policy in the 1980s have had clear and consistent implications for state education finance systems. This study reviews the financing arrangements that have emerged during the 1980s at the state level, discusses the costs of new legislative mandates and state programs, and assesses the extent to which federal…

The study reported here provides a theoretical and empirical framework for the analysis of employment tax credit policy (a government subsidy or business tax credit to firms who maintain or expand their use of labor). Various programs are examined from the standpoint of structure and implications. The programs are selective employment incentive;…