The range of local public services and population size: Is there a “zoo effect” in French jurisdictions?

Quentin Frère (), Hakim Hammadou () and Sonia Paty

Recherches économiques de Louvain, 2011, vol. 77, issue 2, 87-104

Abstract: This article contributes to the small literature on the relationship between the range of local public services and population size. Using new data on French local jurisdictions, we test the hypothesis that larger jurisdictions provide a broader range of public goods (the so-called ?zoo effect?, Oates (1988)). We take advantage of the fact that, in France, many municipalities recently joined together, forming groups of municipalities (or communities) in order to achieve economies of scale. Using spatial econometrics, we find some evidence for the existence of a zoo effect in French communities. In other terms, larger communities provide a broader range of services than smaller ones. The intensity of the zoo effect is higher in urban than in rural areas. JEL classification: H4, H7

Keywords: local public services; population size; zoo effect; French jurisdictions; communities; spatial econometrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H4 H7 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The range of local public services and population size: Is there a “zoo effect” in French jurisdictions? (2011)
Working Paper: The range of local public services and population size: Is there a "zoo effect" in French jurisdictions? (2011)
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