Spillover effects of remittances on local public spending in developing economies

Authors

  • Raul Alberto Ponce Rodriguez Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Department of Social Science, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0851-2687
  • Benito Alan Ponce Rodriguez Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4550-2103
  • Juan Carlos Medina Guirado Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Department of Social Science, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3597-9031

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18559/ebr.2024.4.1229

Keywords:

local public goods, spillovers, state and local government, interregional inequality, remittances

Abstract

We develop a political economy model to study spatial spillover effects of remittances on local public goods with inter-regional positive externalities. Our theory shows that spillovers of remittances are asymmetric with a complex pattern that depends on the degree of externalities of public spending, the inter-regional inequality of income, and whether local public goods are complementary or substitutes. We develop several tests to be verified empirically, for instance our theory shows that if local public goods are substitutes and externalities are moderate, remittances received by households in one locality increase government spending in that locality but reduce spending in other districts. If externalities are significant, remittances affect local public spending in high-income localities but does not affect spending in low-income localities.

JEL Classification

Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement (D63)
Remittances (F24)
Public Goods (H41)
State and Local Government • Intergovernmental Relations (H7)

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References

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Published

2024-12-21

Issue

Section

Research article- regular issue

How to Cite

Ponce Rodriguez, R. A., Ponce Rodriguez, B. A., & Medina Guirado, J. C. (2024). Spillover effects of remittances on local public spending in developing economies. Economics and Business Review, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.18559/ebr.2024.4.1229

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