The quality of public services in Italy

Amanda Carmignani (), Francesco Bripi and Raffaela Giordano ()
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Amanda Carmignani: Banca d'Italia

No 84, Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) from Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area

Abstract: This paper provides a survey of a number of studies conducted in recent years, above all at the Bank of Italy, aiming at assessing the quality and the efficiency of public services in Italy. We consider services provided by the central government (education and civil justice), regional governments (health) and municipalities (local public transportation, waste disposal, water and gas supply, and childcare). The analysis shows in general that Italy lags behind noticeably compared with other countries and there are large regional differences in terms of both quality and efficiency, regardless of the level of government providing the service. The lags seem to be attributable, depending on the case, to agents� incentives, citizens� behaviour and the regulation. Furthermore, the analysis emphasizes the need for more information to enhance our understanding of the problems and improve the effectiveness of action taken to counter them.

Keywords: public services; efficiency; decentralization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H50 H75 H76 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cis, nep-eff and nep-pbe
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_84_11

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