This paper uses the methodology of Parry and Small (2005) to estimate the optimal gasoline tax for a less-developed oil-producing country. The relevance of the estimation relies on the differences between less-developed countries (LDCs) and industrial countries. We argue that lawless roads,...

Summary In this study, we present evidence from Mexico regarding the weak effectiveness of federal transfers and low absorption capacity of sub-national governments in poor areas, when political opportunistic behavior is present. We show that the distribution of conditional transfers is...

Searching for an explanation for investment grades assigned to virtually bankrupt subnational governments in LDCs, we study the determinants of bond ratings for municipalities in Mexico. Our data set includes ratings from three agencies: S&P, Fitch, and Moody´s. To control for selectivity in...