We analyze the determinants of caesarean sections and the role that regional policies and institutions can play in controlling for inappropriateness in healthcare. We consider Italy as a case study, given that: at the national level caesarean sections are above OECD average but regional...

This work aims at identifying the determinants of health spending differentials among Italian regions and at highlighting potential margins for savings. The analysis exploits a data set for the 21 Italian regions and autonomous provinces starting in the early 1990s and ending in 2006. After...

The distinguished authors in this volume address the fundamental causes for such heterogeneous international experiences, placing particular emphasis on the role of institutions. They demonstrate how the study of economic development is increasingly linked to the development of institutions,...

This book makes a valuable, analytical contribution to recent debates on the ongoing institutional changes occurring within the European Union. It provides a comprehensive and diverse insight into a variety of areas, including in-depth studies of fiscal, monetary and voting issues, to help...

The generalised economic downturn in developed countries and the significant constraints on both their monetary and fiscal policies have prompted new infrastructure investments as a tool to promote economic growth. However, both the critical analysis of the existing academic literature and the...

<i> Il primo anno di applicazione del Patto di stabilità interno: una valutazione </i> (di Fabrizio Balassone, Daniele Franco e Stefania Zotteri) - ABSTRACT: A Domestic Stability Pact has been introduced in Italy with the budget law for the year 1999. The Pact aims at involving Regions and other local...

<i> Il Patto di stabilità interno due anni dopo: norme più «morbide», risultati più deludenti </i> (di Fabrizio Balassone e Stefania Zotteri) - ABSTRACT: A Domestic Stability Pact (DSP) has been introduced in Italy in 1998, in order to involve Regions and other local authorities in the effort to...