Since the seminal work of Oates (1972) on scal federalism, a central question of public finance has been which level of a federation should be as- signed the provision of public goods. In this paper we study the problem of a government that is to choose the optimal...

In this note we explore the welfare properties of the cost effectiveness criterion as an instrument to improve the appropriateness of health care. We show that such instrument is optimal only under specific assumptions relating to the shape of the welfare function and the utility of health care.

Public service provision has undergone a significant process of reform through the reduction of vertical integration in its supply and the introduction of competition. The aim of these reforms is to increase efficiency and ultimately to improve welfare, but these goals can be reached only if the...

In this note we explore the welfare properties of access restrictions to health care based on cost effectiveness. We show that such instrument can improve the average effectiveness of health care, but it is optimal only under specific assumptions relating to the shape of the welfare function and...

The traditional fiscal federalism theory shows that the devolution of functions for the supply of local public goods may increase welfare. However, most services offered at local level are impure local public goods with spillovers. These goods have specific characteristics that may prevent...

The process of privatisation of health care has followed different patterns and some health care systems have preferred to create a mixed market where public organisations compete alongside private ones. The evidence on their performance is mixed. In this article we argue that public hospitals...

Since the seminal work of Oates (1972) on fiscal federalism, a central question of public finance has been which level of a federation should be assigned the provision of public goods. In this paper we study the problem of a government that is to choose the optimal...

Health care provision in the public sector is increasingly oriented towards a reduction of vertical integration through fairly heterogeneous methods as concerns the contractual rules and the actors that are allowed to compete. In this paper we model the choice of a benevolent regulator that...