Robert Ebel | World Bank (original) (raw)

Papers by Robert Ebel

Development in Practice, 2021

ABSTRACT All disasters are local with important repercussions for national and sometimes for inte... more ABSTRACT All disasters are local with important repercussions for national and sometimes for international levels. An effective emergency response requires mobilising local government resources in the fight against disasters, including pandemics. Local governments, being closer to people, are well-positioned to identify local vulnerabilities and design appropriate response actions. This paper reviews relevant literature on the role of local government in the fight against pandemics and identifies two important prerequisites in deploying local governments effectively in fighting against pandemics: the existence of an intergovernmental coordination mechanism, and local government capacity. The research methodology includes a content analysis of qualitative and quantitative information through a literature review and available data in the public domain.

Public Administration and Development, 2015

Sierra Leone is a small West African country with approximately 6 million people. Since 2002, the... more Sierra Leone is a small West African country with approximately 6 million people. Since 2002, the nation has made great progress in recovering from a decade-long civil war, in part due to consistent and widespread support for decentralization and equitable service delivery. Three rounds of peaceful elections have strengthened democratic norms, but more work is needed to cement decentralization reforms and strengthen local governments. This paper examines decentralization progress to date and suggests several next steps the government of Sierra Leone can take to overcome the remaining hurdles to full implementation of decentralization and improved local public service delivery.

Policy Research Working Papers, 2008

The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encoura... more The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

ULB Institutional Repository, 2006

Contents: Preface Part I: Introduction Part II: Federal Industrial Countries Part III: New Federa... more Contents: Preface Part I: Introduction Part II: Federal Industrial Countries Part III: New Federal Countries Part IV: Countries in Transition Part V: Developing Countries Part VI: Postconflict Index Contributors include: B. Bayenet, R.M. Bird, B. Brodjonegoro, B. Dafflon, P. de Bruycker, R.D. Ebel, J. Ford, W. Fox, T. Garcia-Mila, S. Gianci, R. Manasan, J. Martinez-Vazquez, T.J. McGuire, M.G. Rao, S. Sehili, N. Singh, P.B. Spahn, F. Vaillancourt, C. Wallich, J. Werner, C. Wong

Oxford University Press eBooks, Sep 18, 2012

During an epidemic, metrics such as R 0 , doubling time, and case fatality rates are important in... more During an epidemic, metrics such as R 0 , doubling time, and case fatality rates are important in understanding and predicting the course of an epidemic. However, if collected over country or regional scales, these metrics hide important smaller-scale, local dynamics. We examine how commonly used epidemiological metrics differ for each individual state within the United States during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. We found that the case number, and trajectory of cases, differs considerably between states. We show that early non-pharmaceutical, government actions, were the most important determinant of epidemic dynamics. In particular, restricting restaurant operations was correlated with increased doubling times. Although individual states are clearly not independent, they can serve as small, natural experiments in how different demographic patterns and government responses can impact the course of an epidemic.

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Sep 27, 2006

An important characteristic of many countries is that they exhibit, to greater or lesser degrees,... more An important characteristic of many countries is that they exhibit, to greater or lesser degrees, some "asymmetry" in the way in which different regions are treated by their intergovernmental fiscal systems. This paper explores some of the varied extents and manners in which such asymmetrical treatment may help or hinder the maintenance of an effective nation-state, where "effectiveness" encompasses both how effectively, efficiently, and (perhaps) equitably public services are provided throughout the national territory and also the effects asymmetry may have on the very existence of "fragmented" nation-states.

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, 2007

E. Elgar eBooks, 2007

... Minority Regions and Fiscal Decentralization in China: The Promises and Reality of Asymmetric... more ... Minority Regions and Fiscal Decentralization in China: The Promises and Reality of Asymmetric Treatment 267 Christine Wong PART V ... Subsidiarity and Solidarity: Fiscal Decentralization in the Philippines 363 Christine Wallich, Rosario Manasan and Saloua Sehili PART VI ...

Most countries, developed and developing, are fiscally decentralized with regional and local gove... more Most countries, developed and developing, are fiscally decentralized with regional and local governments of varying importance. In many of these countries, some of these sub-national governments differ substantially from others in terms of wealth, ethnic, religious, or linguistic composition. This book considers how fiscal arrangements may strengthen or weaken national solidarity and the effectiveness with which public services are provided. In particular, the nation’s ability to cope with changes created by decentralization is explored.

(KFOS) for providing the funding for this project and for constructing the team of experts needed... more (KFOS) for providing the funding for this project and for constructing the team of experts needed to address the wide array of issues analyzed in this study. At LGI, Ken Davey, Adrian Ionescu and Scott Abrams also contributed to the development and management of this project. At KFOS, Luan Shllaku deserves special mention for first conceiving of this project concept and for ensuring as many local Kosovars were engaged in the expert consultations, drafting and peer-reviewing as possible. Along with Iliriana Kacaniku, who managed most of the local activities related to the development of this volume and without whom this work could never have been completed in a timely manner, the Editors wish to thank them both for their dedication to the success of this project. A number of Kosovar officials and representatives of the international donor community based in Pristina also offered their extensive time and expertise towards the development of this volume.

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Mar 27, 2007

Robert D Ebel, 2021

only. Taxation of income on the basis of residence eases the compliance burden of taxpayers and c... more only. Taxation of income on the basis of residence eases the compliance burden of taxpayers and can be especially important in border states. We note that the residence principle is already practiced in seventeen U.S. states. As well, through tax treaties, the U.S. and some countries agree to tax each other's citizens on the basis of residence. As in the apportionment approach, the scheme works best when all stakeholder states participate in the arrangement. However, getting all the states to participate would be difficult. Data show that Hawaii will lose substantial income tax revenues (in excess of $100 million in tax year 2018) if the state joined the arrangement. In the near term, Hawaii would be better off fiscally under the status quo.

1. Of the 75 developing and transition countries with populations greater that 5 million, all but... more 1. Of the 75 developing and transition countries with populations greater that 5 million, all but 12 claim of be embarked on some form of transfer of fiscal power from central to subnational (e.g., local) governments (Dillinger). This is occurring in even in such "inherently " centralized countries as the Kingdoms of Jordan and Morocco and the states that were under the sphere of Soviet influence.

Twenty years ago, current user charges accounted for 17.7% of United States state and local gener... more Twenty years ago, current user charges accounted for 17.7% of United States state and local general revenues from own-sources. That put it well behind the revenue importance of both the sales and gross receipts (24.8%) and property tax (22.5%) categories and (nearly) the same as the sum of the individual and corporate income tax (17.8%). Today, current charges account for 21.1% of state/local own source general revenues—eclipsing the income taxes (18.6%), nearly on par with the property tax (21.2%) and closing in on the sales and gross receipts category (23.6%). Looking ahead, there are four reasons why this trend is likely to continue. The first is the generally recognized need to improve the nation’s physical infrastructure and the recent literature on how to pay for it (e.g., Pagano, 2011, McNichol, 2016; McKinsey, 2017; Geddes, 2017; McBride, 2018; Schanzenbach, Nunn and Nantz, 2017). Second is the “fiscal squeeze” as the relative revenue productivity of the former “big three” (...

Recognizing there are several intergovernmental and institutional caveats to be made before drawi... more Recognizing there are several intergovernmental and institutional caveats to be made before drawing policy conclusions regarding national Tax/GDP ratios one of the lessons from the global tax literature is that the national (central) government Tax/GDP ratio can serve as an performance indicator associated with being a rich country. Arguably, higher (and steadier) Tax/GDP ratios help the rich countries carry out the central government responsibilities for macroeconomic stability, and economic growth and development. These higher ratios may reflect an enhanced capacity to make and administer tax policy and/or an increased taste for public goods and income transfers.

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the ob... more The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was established at Georgia State University with the objective of promoting excellence in the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. In addition to two academic departments (economics and public administration), the Andrew Young School houses seven leading research centers and policy programs, including the International Center for Public Policy. The mission of the International Center for Public Policy is to provide academic and professional training, applied research, and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in developing and transitional economies. The International Center for Public Policy at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is recognized worldwide for its efforts in support of economic and public policy reforms through technical assistance and training around the world. This reputation has been built serving a diverse client base, including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), finance ministries, government organizations, legislative bodies and private sector institutions. The success of the International Center for Public Policy reflects the breadth and depth of the in-house technical expertise that the International Center for Public Policy can draw upon. The Andrew Young School's faculty are leading experts in economics and public policy and have authored books, published in major academic and technical journals, and have extensive experience in designing and implementing technical assistance and training programs. Andrew Young School faculty have been active in policy reform in over 40 countries around the world. Our technical assistance strategy is not to merely provide technical prescriptions for policy reform, but to engage in a collaborative effort with the host government and donor agency to identify and analyze the issues at hand, arrive at policy solutions and implement reforms. The International Center for Public Policy specializes in four broad policy areas:  Fiscal policy, including tax reforms, public expenditure reviews, tax administration reform  Fiscal decentralization, including fiscal decentralization reforms, design of intergovernmental transfer systems, urban government finance  Budgeting and fiscal management, including local government budgeting, performancebased budgeting, capital budgeting, multi-year budgeting  Economic analysis and revenue forecasting, including micro-simulation, time series forecasting, For more information about our technical assistance activities and training programs, please visit our website at

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The World Bank’s report on Somalia Economic Update/Special Focus on Intergovernmental Relations c... more The World Bank’s report on Somalia Economic Update/Special Focus on Intergovernmental Relations concludes that although Somalis face a daunting and long term development challenge to overcome two decades of conflict and fragility, with a commitment of a new government, substantial progress is being made to support a potentially vibrant private sector economy, improve human and economic development outcomes, and prioritize the establishment of intergovernmental (central and member government) institutions for effective macro-fiscal management (World Bank, 2015).