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Local Government Fiscal Burden in Nonmetropolitan America 1
Author(s) -
Johnson Kenneth M.,
Pelissero John P.,
Holian David B.,
Maly Michael T.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
rural sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1549-0831
pISSN - 0036-0112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.1995.tb00579.x
Subject(s) - metropolitan area , socioeconomic status , rural area , local government , government (linguistics) , revenue , economic growth , economics , state (computer science) , development economics , political science , geography , population , finance , demography , sociology , public administration , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , algorithm , computer science , law
Rising fiscal pressure on local governments in rural areas of the United States is documented in this study. The level of fiscal burden on taxpayers to support local governments in nonmetropolitan areas is found to be higher than that in metropolitan areas between 1977 and 1987. Using a model from the urban fiscal literature, the level of fiscal burden in nonmetropolitan areas is found to be influenced by a combination of demographic, socioeconomic, intergovernmental, and historical factors. Intergovernmental revenue transfers from the state and federal government play a critical role in determining the level of fiscal burden rural taxpayers bear. These findings have implications for rural economic development and for understanding how rural areas are influenced by the larger society.