We go on to show that fiscal centralization reduces spatial inequality in mobility outcomes by "leveling up" the worst performing census tracts in a county.

We find there is indeed less place-based inequality in economic mobility outcomes in more centralized fiscal structures.

This association is apparent at both the state and local (county) levels.

County area fiscal centralization is similarly sticky.

Here we show state and county centralization has changed little from 1977 to 2017, despite rise of inequality between households and between places.

Notice wide variation in the fiscal centralization of the 50 states - does not map on to contemporary differences in politics or sociodemographics or economies.

For example, stark difference in the centralization of neighboring states AR and TN we trace to origins in 18th & 19th century

"Fiscal Centralization and Inequality in Children's Economic Mobility"

New research with @schechtlm.bsky.social @zparolin.bsky.social just out in ASR doi.org/10.1177/0003...

#sociology #demography #econsky