Income Originating in the State and Local Sector

54 Pages Posted: 19 Aug 2004 Last revised: 30 Oct 2022

See all articles by Charles R. Hulten

Charles R. Hulten

University of Maryland - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Robert M. Schwab

University of Maryland - Department of Economics

Date Written: July 1987

Abstract

In this paper we develop an accounting framework for the state and local sector which is consistent with the accounting framework for the private sector of the economy. We show that the public sector capital stock generates an imputed return which takes the form of a reduction in local taxes and that failure to recognize this income distorts the measurement of the output of this sector, confuses the debate over federal tax reform, and hides the distinction between general subsidies for capital formation. Our implementation of those accounts for the 1959- 1985 period indicates that current national income accounting procedures misstate the amount of income originating in the state and local sector; in recent years this misstatement has been on the order of $100 billion. We also show that the state and local sector is one of the more capital intensive sectors of the economy.

Suggested Citation

Hulten, Charles R. and Schwab, Robert M., Income Originating in the State and Local Sector (July 1987). NBER Working Paper No. w2314, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=349154

Charles R. Hulten (Contact Author)

University of Maryland - Department of Economics ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Robert M. Schwab

University of Maryland - Department of Economics ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States

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