Soft Budget Constraints in German Fiscal Federalism: Lessons for Fiscal Governance

Fiscal Federalism is characterized by an inherent inefficiency which has increasingly surfaced in the last two decades: the soft budget constraint. As evidence shows, subnational governments can expect to be bailed out by the central government in case of fiscal distress. How can this "federal disease" be overcome? How can we reduce bailout expectations? And what are the lessons to be learned for fiscal governance? This book contributes to the literature on fiscal federalism by explaining subnational bailout expectations and by proposing agency cost-efficient solutions for fiscal governance.