Document Type
Working Paper
Publication Date
5-29-2020
College/Unit
Chambers College of Business and Economics
Document Number
20-07
Department/Program/Center
Economics
Abstract
Empirical results find different conclusions than theoretical evidence of how electorates perceive road work. This paper uses a geographically smaller unit of analysis than prior work, political alignment, local election cycles, and difference-in-differences. It finds political distortions in invasive road maintenance timing and rules out maintenance seasonality. Spatial discontinuity plots leveraging ward boundary cutoffs confirm the shift. Results identify new public distortions to road maintenance, local election cycles, which are widespread and frequent. The estimates are used to calculate financial costs of local elections on road maintenance. Local elections have cost medium-large U.S. cities over $185.5 million from 1960- 2020.
Digital Commons Citation
Blemings, Benjamin and Bock, Margaret, "Disamenity or a Signal of Competence? The Empirical Political Economy of Local Road Maintenance" (2020). Economics Faculty Working Papers Series. 48.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/econ_working-papers/48
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Political Economy Commons, Public Economics Commons, Public Policy Commons, Regional Economics Commons, Urban Studies Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons