Mehmet Serkan Tosun

University of Nevada, Reno | UNR · Department of Economics

World economies have faced numerous crises throughout history. Fiscal issues have accordingly become a crucial aspect of economic policy discussions, particularly in Eastern Europe, a region shown to be especially vulnerable to the recent economic shocks. The paper therefore aims to provide a bibliometric examination of trends in fiscal research vi...

The purpose of this study is to examine the possible determinants of broadening the sales tax base to include services using variables reflecting the political, economic, and demographic environment at the sub-national level in the United States. We start with providing a picture of taxation of services across different states over a 20-year time s...

Although national government and international actor responses to the Covid‐19 pandemic have been very much in the public eye, the subnational government role has received less attention. Certain pandemic impacts were universal, but the mix and relative severity differed across countries, The actions taken had to reflect these variations, as well a...

We examine whether firms’ tax uncertainty affect their trade credit and inventory investment policies. Using a measure of tax uncertainty based on an accounting reserve for contingent tax liability, we find that tax uncertainty is negatively associated with trade credit use and inventory investment. In terms of economic significance, the effect of...

Outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is testing governments' capacity. Generally, considerable attention is paid to the capacity and response of the central or national governments; however, COVID‐19 pandemic is local in nature. Although central authorities have important roles to play in COVID‐19 response, local governments, being closer to people...

In this paper, we examine how conflict in Colombia responded differentially to a fiscal decentralization reform in 2001 for the regions with different presence of armed militia groups, namely the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Group of Colombia (AUC). We also examine the...

Local governments play an important role in the COVID-19 pandemic response. They can identify the local vulnerabilities and respond accordingly. In this commentary, we are examining the relationship between COVID-19 case and fatality numbers and provincial governments in Indonesia using correlations and data visualization. We use the public health...

We examine the impact of aggregate tax policy uncertainty on firm-level default risk. Due to uncertainties associated with tax policies, firms could have difficulties in determining their optimal debt level and use too much debt to increase their values. This can increase firms’ financial risk and default probabilities. At the same time, tax policy...

This paper examines whether the adoption of a parcel tax improves fiscal conditions in California local governments. A parcel tax is commonly known as a lump-sum property tax on a unit of parcel. Because of the ad-valorem tax cap in the state constitution, a non-ad-valorem property tax is one of the ways to extract tax revenues from real estate. Lo...

We examine activist fiscal policy in advanced and emerging economies using an innovative methodology. We contribute to the existing literature on fiscal policy cyclicality by conducting real-time data analysis for a broad set of countries that include 23 advanced and 30 emerging market economies. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study...

There have been significant changes in both the fertility rates and fertility perception since 1970s. In this paper, we examine the relationship between government policies towards fertility and the fertility trends. Total fertility rate, defined as the number of children per woman, is used as the main fertility trend variable. We use panel data fr...

We examine the impact of legalized casino gambling, including Indian casinos, on crime. Using county-level data between 1994 and 2009, the impact that casino legalization had on crime is examined. Our results show an increase in crime associated with casinos in some circumstances, but not others. Crime impact results are quite sensitive to data, sa...

This exploratory study takes a new look at the tax systems of countries in the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). We measure a country’s tax system using time-series cross-sectional data on tax collection variables as well as a cross-sectional metric assessing tax administration and enforcement. More specifically, we ex...

In this paper we examine the cyclicality of public investment in African countries using panel data for the 1996-2012 period. In addition to an overall analysis of the African continent, we also examine public investment in country sub-groups such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Economic Community of West African States...

In this paper we examine the cyclicality of public investment in African countries using panel data for the 1996-2012 period. In addition to an overall analysis of the African continent, we also examine public investment in country sub-groups such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Economic Community of West African States...

In this chapter we analyze fiscal adjustments following economic shocks in the West African Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries. Using an unbalanced panel data, we examine empirically 81 developing countries including eight WAEMU countries over the 1980-2012 period. We compare the cyclicality of fiscal policy in WAEMU to other developing countries. Wh...

We examine the fiscal impact of legalized casino gambling, including Indian casinos. Our study examines the impact this legalization had on counties where casinos were located. Using county-level data between 1987 and 2007 and difference-in-differences estimation, we examine the impact of casino openings on county area government revenues, expendit...

This study estimates the effect of U.S. legislative term limits on state revenue, general expenditure and its main components (welfare, highways, health, education, and state aid to local governments). Two alternative measures of term limits are tested: 1) an original term limit index and 2) average legislative turnover rate. Controlling for econom...

We use event history analysis to separately model a state’s first and then repeated tax amnesties and test the revenue yield versus the fiscal stress hypotheses using a panel of annual data from all 50 states for the period 1982–2010. We also split our sample into two sub-periods, 1982–1988 and 1989–2010, to more easily compare our results to other...

Elderly have been increasingly targeted as a group to enhance economic development and the tax base in communities. While recent literature on elderly migration tends to focus on how elderly migration patterns are influenced by state fiscal variables, the reverse effect from elderly population on fiscal variables is very plausible. This paper reexa...

Demographic deficit refers to an imbalance or shortage, in the human population of a country, province, or any other regional or local jurisdiction that arises mainly from differences in age, sexes, and geographic concentration of that population, such as rural–urban or suburban population differences. While different forms of demographic imbalance...

This paper develops a simulation model in order to examine the effectiveness of state attempts at redistribution under a variety of migration elasticity assumptions. Key outputs from the simulation include the impact of tax-induced migration on state revenues, excess burden, and fiscal externalities. With modest migration elasticities, the costs of...

Elderly have been increasingly targeted as a group to enhance economic development and the tax base in communities. While recent literature on elderly migration tends to focus on how elderly migration patterns are influenced by state fiscal variables, the reverse effect from elderly population on fiscal variables is very plausible. This paper reexa...

We estimate the effect of legislative term limits on various categories of state government spending using the most recent panel of 47 states from 1972 to 2005. Besides the usual economic, political, fiscal and demographic factors, we also control for the state tax and expenditure limitations. We find that term limits have a significant positive ef...

This paper provides a demographic outlook of the Euro-Mediterranean region and then shows the economic and fiscal consequences of such demographic differences within a two-region model with international labor mobility. International labor mobility is also examined through an externalities framework where brain drain from migration could be taxed b...

In 1994, a limit on the growth of property values for tax purposes was imposed in Michigan. One consequence of the newly imposed assessment growth cap was an emerging differential in tax prices between potential new property owners and long-time property owners. The purpose this article is to examine the impact of this growing tax price differentia...

ABSTRACT We analyze the impact of fiscal decentralization on U.S. county population, employment, and real income growth. Our findings suggest that government organization matters for local economic growth, but that the impacts vary by government unit and by economic indicator. We find that single-purpose governments per square mile have a positive...

Among the direct impacts of climate change to human population are the potential effects on food security. Changes to hydro-ecological systems are expected to have profound impacts on food production and food delivery systems. How human populations will respond to these changes has been an active area of debate over the past decade. This paper exam...

Despite its popularity as a research topic in the United States, property taxation in other countries has not received as much attention. International comparisons of property tax systems are particularly rare in the academic literature. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, the chapter summarizes the main differences and similarities of the...

Assuming a normal distribution of hazards, Dubin, Graetz, and Wilde (1992) analyze state tax amnesties in the 1980s and conclude that states run amnesties in response to revenue yield motive. Given the increased frequency with which states enacted amnesties during and after the 2001 recession, we investigate if there is a possible shift from revenu...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has one of the most centralized government structures in the world. In this paper, we examine the causes of decentralization in the region by conducting a cross-country regression analysis. We use panel data for a set of MENA countries to understand the factors behind heavy centralization. Our findings...

This paper examines resident foreigners’ interest in German citizenship. We use a unique data set from a survey of foreign residents in the German states to study the roles played by factors such as attitudes towards foreigners and political interest of foreigners. We find that negative attitudes towards foreigners and generational conflict within...

There have been important developments in the decentralization of the government structure in Turkey since the early 1980s. This paper examines economic development and growth in Turkish provinces. Although there is a rich literature on the economic effects of government decentralization from both developed and developing countries, these effects h...

Previous analyses of population aging mainly focused on the social security implications of the aging trend. This paper addresses aging in an open economy framework with two regions that have politically responsive fiscal policy regarding education finance. Demographic shocks start an economic growth process but results are sensitive to a critical...

With the aging trend reaching new heights, retirees are becoming increasinglyimportant for state and local economies. Although retirees pose challenges for state andlocal governments, they have been increasingly targeted as a group to enhance economicdevelopment in communities. With rapid increases in the number of retirees,understanding the econom...

This paper examines the effect of trade openness on the productivity of skilled labor intensive and unskilled labor intensive industries in the group of 20 OECD countries. Using panel data and fixed effects approach, we find that skilled workers’ relative gains in productivity exceed those of their unskilled counterpart. Given this differential imp...

This paper examines the effect of trade openness on the productivity of skilled and unskilled labor in a group of 36 developing countries using panel data and fixed effect approach. We have developed and utilized an empirical model that readily lends itself to testing the hypothesis posed. Our results support the hypothesis that trade openness has...

In this article we present new evidence of cross-border shopping in response to sales taxation. While several instructive studies provide estimates of the cross-border shopping effect, we utilize a unique opportunity to evaluate the effect of a large discrete change in sales tax policy. Using county level data on food sales and sales tax rates for...

There has been an unprecedented trade liberalization which started in the mid- 1980s in a wide spectrum of developing countries. In the same period, there have also been considerable changes in the tax structures of countries. This paper uses panel data on 65 countries, including 16 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, for the period 1980...

This paper examines the tax structures of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries by focusing on the quality of governance and demographic changes as two influential factors in region’s economies. The objective of is to determine whether these factors can explain the variation in the tax structures of these countries. Results from regress...

In this paper we examine Australian data on national and regional employment numbers, focusing in particular on whether there have been common national and regional changes in the volatility of employment. A subsidiary objective is to assess whether the results derived from traditional growth rate models are sustained when alternative filtering met...

This paper extends the recent empirical literature on the relationship between local decentralization and growth using data from both metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions in the U.S. The analysis utilizes both metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions, and thus avoids the possible selection bias present in previous research. The results for no...

One measure of the health of the Social Security system is the difference between the market value of the trust fund and the present value of benefits accrued to date. How should present values be computed for this calculation in light of future uncertainties? We think it is important to use market value. Since claims on accrued benefits are not cu...

This research focuses on enhancing the understanding of the use of “rainy day funds” to deal with municipal fiscal shortfalls. It is a pilot study, examining the largest 15 cities in West Virginia. Analysis of data from state reports and interviews with finance directors are used to determine whether, how, and to the degree the cities studied use v...

In this paper we present new evidence of cross-border shopping in response to sales taxation. While several instructive studies provide estimates of the cross-border shopping effect, we utilize a unique opportunity to evaluate the effect of a large discrete change in sales tax policy. Using county level data on food income and sales tax data for We...

This paper uses an overlapping generations model with international labor mobility and a politically responsive fiscal policy to examine aging in developed and developing regions. Migrant workers change the political structure composed of young and elderly voters in both labor-receiving and labor-sending countries. Numerical simulations show that t...

In this paper we examine the impact of the lottery sales and the introduction of new lottery games on the retail activity using panel data on lottery sales, the adoption of new lottery games in West Virginia and in neighboring states, and retail income (a proxy for retail sales) for all 55 counties in West Virginia over the 1987-2001 period. Import...

The paper examines empirically the changes in the tax mix of the OECD countries in response to economic growth from 1980 to 1999. It is found that economic growth, measured by GDP per capita, has had a significant effect on the tax mix of the OECD countries. Analysis reveals that different taxes respond differently to the growth of GDP per capita....

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In this article we use data on lottery sales for all 55 counties in West Virginia over the period 1987-2000 to examine in a dynamic framework the determinants of lottery revenues. While we examine more generally the determinants of lottery revenues, we focus on the effects of the introduction of new neighboring state lottery games on West Virginia...

Worldwide, dependency ratios are forecast to increase dramatically in the next 50 years. A great deal of attention has been devoted to understanding the changes in fiscal policies that “must” take place to accommodate these changes and maintain desirable rates of economic growth. In contrast, less effort has been concentrated on studying the fiscal...

This paper examines the economic effects of aging trends using a two-period, two-region OLG model and the population projections for the developed and MENA countries. Migrant workers change the political balance of young and elderly voters in both labor-receiving and labor-sending countries. Numerical simulations show that the MENA region benefits...

This paper examines the growth and welfare effects of population aging in an open economy framework by considering specific aging scenarios for developing countries. Previous literature largely focuses on the necessary changes in fiscal policy to deal with the growth and welfare consequences of aging in developed countries. However, the issue that...

This paper addresses population aging in the context of both open economy and endogenous fiscal policy response. The analysis explores the role of these modeling features and discusses how this framework differs from closed economy and other open economy models.

This paper examines the growth and welfare effects of population ageing in an open economy framework by considering ageing scenarios for developing countries. The results show that international capital mobility and endogenous fiscal policy may together reverse the effects of population ageing on economic growth and welfare as predicted by closed e...

Worldwide, dependency ratios are forecast to increase dramatically in the next 50 years. A great deal of attention has been devoted to understanding the changes in fiscal policies that "must" take place to accommodate these changes. In contrast, less effort has been concentrated on studying the fiscal shifts that will endogenously result from deogr...

This paper examines the transition effects of population aging in more developed regions that is also expected to occur in developing regions in the near future. We address these effects by exploring the influences of internationally mobile capital and a politically responsive fiscal policy in a two-country overlapping generations model. Our result...

Given the static condition of the global economy marketers are cutting advertising budgets commensurate with dismal sales. It is a longstanding belief that utilizing a standardized advertising approach not only controls good ideas and provides for a consistent image but it also has the benefit of controlling expenses through economies of scale. Wit...

Books reviewed: Der-Horng Lee, Urban and Regional Transportation Modeling: Essays in Honor of David Boyce Richard Netzer, The Property Tax, Land Use and Land Use Regulation Eric Sheppard and Robert B. McMaster, Scale and Geographic Inquiry: Nature, Society, and Method Laura A. Reese and David Fasenfest, Critical Evaluations of Economic Development...

There has been an unprecedented trade liberalization starting in mid-1980s by a wide spectrum of developing countries. In the same period, there have also been considerable changes in the tax structures of countries. This paper uses panel data on 65 countries including 16 MENA countries for the period 1980-1997 to examine how tax structures respond...

This dissertation consists of three essays in public economics. In the first two essays, I examine the relationship between population aging, fiscal policy decisions, and open capital markets. The last essay is a study on international taxation.In Essay I, I consider projected population aging in both developed and developing countries. This paper...