Fiscal competition is a desirable feature insofar as it promotes a better match between local policies and the preferences of residents, and creates an environment for experimentation of different policies, with the best outcomes surviving through a mechanism of natural selection. Furthermore,...

The Brazilian experience is of particular interest as a case study into the fiscal scope for public sector investments, especially in infrastructure. Brazil has one of the highest tax burdens in the world and, at the same time, the public sector has been registering a historic low in investment,...