Capital Management in Pennsylvania Municipal Governments
Rudy, Daniel
(2024)
Capital Management in Pennsylvania Municipal Governments.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
This thesis examines the capital spending behavior in Pennsylvania Municipal governments over the past 50 years. The existing literature on municipal finance does not distinguish between municipalities based on size, and most research only considers large cities. This thesis adds nuance to those findings by considering four distinct classes of municipal government based on size. I find significant differences between these classes across my analyses. I develop a model of expectation-performance equilibrium that is driven by administrative capacity, financial capacity, and taxes as a mechanism for these differences and capital spending behavior more broadly. Using a panel dataset of municipal government finances spanning 50 years, I examine trends in capital spending, determinants of capital spending, and fiscal response to recessions. I find significant differences in capital spending behavior over time between the four size classes, and that they have different determinants of capital spending. I also find that large municipalities are more likely to respond countercyclically to recessions, and are incentivized to do so. This thesis demonstrates the need for additional research on small municipalities, and closer attention to the administrative and financial capacity of small governments.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
3 June 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
22 April 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
3 June 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
29 April 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
157 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs > Public and International Affairs |
| Degree: |
MPA - Master of Public Administration |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
capital, municipal government, finance, government capacity, cyclical spending, public finance |
| References: |
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| Date Deposited: |
03 Jun 2024 14:19 |
| Last Modified: |
03 Jun 2024 14:19 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46069 |
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