This article is the result of an internship at IRPET of Giovanna D’Inverno.
The paper presents a Data Envelopment Analysis aimed at studying the efficiency of Tuscan municipalities’ public expenditure. Five strategic functions of Tuscan municipalities are first considered carrying out a non-aggregate analysis; then the overall expenditure composition of each municipality and the global spending efficiency are analysed by a proposed composite indicator. The main determinants affecting the municipalities’ efficiency were further investigated. In particular, the obtained results may be consistently included in the long-standing debate on the municipal size, proving that the bigger the municipality, the greater its level of public expenditure efficiency.
Article published online in Socio-Economic Planning Sciences
Author: Giovanna D’Inverno, Laura Carosi and Letizia Ravagli
Publication details: Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, online 8 January 2017