Suchergebnisse

Abstract
We study the interaction between intergovernmental transfers on the level and the structure of local own revenues. Based on a sample for Argentina's local governments, specifically the 135 municipalities of the province of Buenos Aires, we find that transfers facilitate local revenues collection. This effect is more pronounced in urban local governments, with higher population density, poverty levels, and demand for public services. In addition, transfers bias own revenues composition. That is, higher transfers lead to higher local tax collection, which is obtained through less distortionary taxation (i.e., property tax). Interestingly, this bias is stronger for local governments with a higher share of divisible public goods (that are likely to be financed according to the "benefit principle"). The results are robust to a battery of different estimation methods and can be rationalized with existing theory from public finance and political economy as well. The findings might have important policy implications for local governments' public finance.

El trabajo estudia la incidencia distributiva del sistema tributario argentino (por impuesto y a nivel agregado) haciendo uso de las dos últimas Encuestas Nacionales de Gasto de los Hogares correspondientes a los años 2004/05 y 2012/13. Al utilizar el ingreso per cápita familiar como indicador de bienestar, se obtiene que el sistema tributario ejerce mayor presión en ambas colas de la distribución, siendo constante en los deciles intermedios. Por otro lado, si se utiliza el consumo per cápita familiar como indicador, la incidencia resulta proporcional con excepción del último decil, en donde aumenta considerablemente. De este modo se pone de manifiesto la relevancia del indicador de bienestar elegido a la hora de realizar un análisis de incidencia tributaria.

This paper analyzes the implementation of Fiscal Rules (FR) in Argentina. Several clear attempts to establish a FR at the national level are identified. The analysis suggests that the environment matters. The only FR that was binding in the period was approved in 2004 during an economic boom, with the country under a program with the IMF and with high political support. During the world financial crisis the expenditure ceilings were relaxed, however, and current primary expenditures soared. Simulations show that a countercyclical fund could have been implemented even after reducing highly distorting taxes at the federal and provincial levels, and at the same time securing a high level of capital expenditure as a share of GDP, had Argentina complied with the 2004 FR. Moreover, an econometric exploration of the link between flexible FRs and public investment finds that a flexible FR helps to mitigate the negative effects of fiscal consolidations on provincial public investment. Based on the previous analysis, guidelines for a proposal for a FR in Argentina are provided.

Este artículo aporta evidencia sobre el empleo público en América Latina durante el periodo 1992-2012, explotando una base de datos estandarizados de las encuestas de hogares de todos los países de la región. Estas encuestas constituyen una buena herramienta por su representatividad nacional, su frecuencia y su amplia cobertura sobre cuestiones de empleo y salarios, tanto en el sector público como en el privado, formal e informal. El trabajo documenta y analiza los cambios en los niveles de empleo y salarios de los empleados públicos latinoamericanos vis-à-vis el resto de los trabajadores