Journal of Public Economics · 2024 · Paolo Buonanno、Irene Ferrari、Alessandro Saia
中文摘要
我们利用意大利一项旨在打击有组织犯罪的政策——地方政府遭犯罪渗透后解散市议会——考察制度质量如何影响社会资本。为衡量社会资本，我们采用了一项基于意大利“千分之五”制度的新颖、细粒度指标；该制度允许纳税人将其所得税的一部分分配给非营利组织。运用双重差分策略，我们发现，解散市议会会使社会资本显著增加。我们进一步表明，对执法强化的感知，是解散市议会促进社会资本的主要机制。• 我们考察制度质量的提升如何影响意大利市镇的社会资本形成。• 我们基于一项税收制度（“千分之五”）提出了一种新颖、细粒度且随时间变化的社会资本衡量指标。• 解散市议会会使社会资本显著增加。• 对执法强化的感知，是解散市议会促进社会资本的主要机制。
Abstract
We investigate how institutional quality influences social capital by exploiting a policy designed to fight organized crime in Italy: the dismissal of city councils following criminal infiltration into local governments. To measure social capital, we employ a novel, fine-grained indicator based on Italy’s 5 per Mille provision, which allows taxpayers to allocate a portion of their income tax to non-profit organizations. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we find that city council dismissals lead to a significant increase in social capital. We document that the perceived strengthening of law enforcement is the primary mechanism through which city council dismissals enhance social capital. • We examine how the enhancement of institutional quality impacts the formation of social capital in Italian municipalities. • We introduce a novel, fine-grained and time variant measure of social capital based on a tax provision (5 per Mille). • City council dismissals lead to a significant increase in social capital. • The perceived strengthening of law enforcement is the primary mechanism through which city council dismissals enhance social capital.