Term Limits: Do They Really Affect Fiscal Policy Choices?

26 Pages Posted: 23 Jan 2008

See all articles by Chiara Dalle Nogare

Chiara Dalle Nogare

University of Brescia - Department of Economics

Roberto Ricciuti

University of Verona - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Date Written: January 2008

Abstract

According to reputational models of political economy, a term limit may change the behavior of a chief executive because he does not have to stand for election. We test this hypothesis in a sample of 52 countries over the period 1977-2000, using government spending, social and welfare spending and deficit as policy choice variables using panel data estimation techniques. We are unable to find significant differences in the behavior of term-limited and non term-limited chief executives. This is in contrast with some previous empirical results based on U.S. states and international data.

Keywords: term limits, comparative politics, fiscal policy

JEL Classification: E62, H11

Suggested Citation

Dalle Nogare, Chiara and Ricciuti, Roberto, Term Limits: Do They Really Affect Fiscal Policy Choices? (January 2008). CESifo Working Paper No. 2199, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1086584 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1086584

Chiara Dalle Nogare

University of Brescia - Department of Economics ( email )

Via San Faustino 74B
Brescia, 25122
Italy

Roberto Ricciuti (Contact Author)

University of Verona - Department of Economics ( email )

Via dell'Artigliere, 8
37129 Verona
Italy

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

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