Efficient Local Government Service Provision: The Role of Privatization and Public Sector Unions

Jerch, Rhiannon; Kahn, Matthew E.; Li, Shanjun

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2753705

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The goal of contracting-out for many cities is to reduce costs especially in the face of tight budgets. The opponents of contracting-out often argue that the public sector provides steady, well-paying jobs for the middle-class and minorities and that services from private contractors are less safe, less reliable, and ultimately more expensive (Jerch, Kahn, and Li, 2016).…”

Section: Contracting Out: a Principle Form Of Privatizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agency vs. Stewardship Theory in Local Government Contracted Mobile Apps

Perlman

Reddick

Zheng

2020

International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age

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This paper examines citizen satisfaction levels with local government contracted mobile platforms and applies two theories of the contracting relationship to them: principal-agent and stewardship theory. It uses survey data to compare citizen satisfaction factors for mobile phone applications (apps) contracted by Chinese local governments. It looks at contracting out, a key element of privatization, from a unique perspective. Most research on government contracting focuses on cost and quality in service delivery. This research looks at citizen satisfaction with contracted mobile platforms. Ordered logistic regression analysis is used on data from a user survey of local government contracted mobile apps in 30 cities in China. The study found that the strongest predictors of contracted mobile apps satisfaction were usability, overall app satisfaction, and trust, supporting the stewardship theory. The results challenge existing research showing that citizen satisfaction is influenced more by openness and trust than by cost, at least in mobile apps.

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Section: Contracting Out: a Principle Form Of Privatizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agency vs. Stewardship Theory in Local Government Contracted Mobile Apps

Perlman

Reddick

Zheng

2020

International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age

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“…A number of analysts have similarly argued that transportation services should be provided by the private sector, with significant cost savings to taxpayers (e.g. Jerch et al , 2016; Love and Cox, 1991; Millsap, 2016; Winston, 2000). With the rise of startups such as Uber, Lyft, and corporate or private shuttle buses (e.g.…”

Section: Equity Issues In Transportation Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equity and public finance issues in the state subsidy of public transit

Hudspeth

Wellman

2018

JPBAFM

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Purpose Public transit is an essential service for people without access to an automobile, particularly those who are low income, elderly, or with disabilities. Previous research has found that large urban transit agencies receive less state funding per ride provided than suburban agencies. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the National Transit Database for 37 of the largest US transit agencies, the authors create a panel data set of services provided and sources of operating funds for the period 1991-2009. The authors develop an equity index that represents the difference between the share of state funding that an agency receives and the share of the total transit rides in the state that it provides. The authors use fixed-effects regression modeling to examine the determinants of fiscal balance and the equity index. Findings The authors find that the share of an agency’s operating funds that come from dedicated taxes is a significant predictor of fiscal health as measured by its fiscal balance; reliance on passenger fares and provision of bus service are significant predictors of operating deficits. The equity index finds that large agencies receive less than their fair share of state transit funding based on ridership. Practical implications Dedicated tax revenues are a key ingredient to transit agencies’ fiscal stability. Transit agencies’ fiscal condition in states and localities that do not have a dedicated tax could benefit from such a tax. Social implications Transit is an essential service for people who are unable to drive or own an automobile; funding inequities maintain old patterns of segregation and isolation for “transit dependents.” Originality/value This study supports earlier research finding that large agencies receive less than their fair share of state funding based on ridership. It contributes to the literature on transportation equity and transit finance.

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“…In addition, the unfavorable conditions of PPP projects, such as renegotiation issues, cost overruns, and demand risks, have also been theoretically discussed [ 29 ]. The objective function that attaches importance to private interests makes scholars doubt the service quality assurance of private suppliers in PPP projects [ 30 , 31 ]. However, few studies have been undertaken on the effects of PPP projects on water pollution and water environment governance [ 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Public–Private Partnership Wastewater Treatment Projects Help Reduce Urban Sewage Disposal? Empirical Evidence from 267 Cities in China

Hou

2022

IJERPH

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Human activities have placed enormous pressure on the world’s water resources. To improve the efficiency of water supply and wastewater treatment, public–private partnerships (PPPs) are widely used for sewage treatment. However, an academic question remains about whether PPP sewage treatment projects (PPPSTs) help reduce urban sewage disposal when responsibilities shift from the public sector to the private sector. This study used panel data of 267 prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2020 to construct a difference-in-difference (DID) model based on the counterfactual framework to answer this question empirically. The model results significantly support the effect of PPPSTs on sewage disposal reduction. Furthermore, these results passed the parallel trend test and the placebo test, and the results were still achieved when the quadratic term of the core variable was introduced, indicating that the model is reliable. In addition, the moderating effect models were used to expand the analysis. That is, the regressions were derived by multiplying the relevant extended variables and the core independent variables. This analysis indicates that the operation mode of PPPST and the characteristics of national demonstration play an essential role in reducing the amount of urban sewage disposal. However, the effect of fiscal decentralization is not apparent. These conclusions were also confirmed in the model using the investment scale of PPPSTs. Therefore, paying attention to the formation of PPPST contracts and adopting a practical supervision system is of great significance for improving the effect of sewage disposal reduction.

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Efficient Local Government Service Provision: The Role of Privatization and Public Sector Unions

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

Agency vs. Stewardship Theory in Local Government Contracted Mobile Apps

Agency vs. Stewardship Theory in Local Government Contracted Mobile Apps

Equity and public finance issues in the state subsidy of public transit

Can Public–Private Partnership Wastewater Treatment Projects Help Reduce Urban Sewage Disposal? Empirical Evidence from 267 Cities in China

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