Finance & Economics of Xinjiang ›› 2023, Issue (1): 56-67.doi: 10.16716/j.cnki.65-1030/f.2023.01.006

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Is Fiscal Decentralization and Inter-Governmental Competition Pushing up Local Government Debt Risk?

HUO Xuling   

  1. Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, Urumqi 830012, China
  • Received:2022-08-05 Online:2023-02-25 Published:2023-05-18

Abstract:

Preventing and resolving the risk of local government debt is of great significance to the sustainable and healthy development of local economy. Using the data of local governments' explicit and implicit debt from 2012 to 2020, this paper theoretically analyzes and empirically tests the spatial correlation effect of fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental competition on local government debt risk. The study finds that local government debt risk has obvious inertia effect in time and positive interaction effect in space; fiscal decentralization and inter-governmental competition promote the risk of local government debt; there is a positive spatial interaction effect between local and neighboring fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental competition on local government debt risk. In this regard, attention should be paid to preventing the long-term potential risks of local government debt and optimizing the distribution system of central payment among regions; local governments should strive to improve the level of scientific and technological innovation and establish a healthy relationship of competition and cooperation between neighboring local governments.

Key words: local government debt risk, fiscal decentralization, local government competition, spatial effect

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