H77 - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism; SecessionReturn

This study analyses macroeconomic factors, especially the level of GDP and its changes, in terms of their impact on the revenues of Polish local governments from 1999 to 2016. The importance of the factors in managing local finances is growing because of the increasing threats of globalisation and economies becoming more vulnerable to exogenous shocks. This article attempts to identify the structural weaknesses of the local government revenue system in Poland in the context of macroeconomic circumstances. It follows from our research that the property tax and general state grants are relatively insensitive to GDP changes and that they are capable of ensuring local revenue stability during a crisis. Greater sensitivity to economic fluctuations is shown by shared income taxes. The study analyses Central Statistical Office and Eurostat data using an advanced research approach, the key elements of which are cointegration analysis and a vector error correction model.

The article deals with the issue of the length of procedure in public procurement. Our analysis focuses on construction contracts in 2010-2015. We apply hierarchical linear regressions to these data to identify factors that affect the length of procedure. According to our results, the duration of a public contract does not affect the standard contract price. The nature of the contracting authority, the expected value, the openness of the procurement procedure, and the method of evaluation have a statistically significant impact on the length of the contract. As for other factors regarding the length of awarding time, the use of the subcontractor, the division of a contract into parts, and a review by the Office for the Protection of Competition due extend the time required. By contrast, contracting time can be reduced by the use of outsourcing. In the end of the article, we have put forward recommendations for economic policy and further research.

Based on OECD country experiences over the period from 1990 to 2015, this research rigorously investigates: (1) how fiscal autonomy effects economic growth; (2) whether there is an optimal level of decentralization; and (3) whether and how other factors influence economic performance in a decentralized economy. We find that revenue decentralization does not affect economic performance. The expenditure decentralization dividend in terms of an enhanced economic growth rate can be achieved only when the initial share of local government expenditure is smaller than the growth-maximizing degree through along with tax collection and trade openness.

The article deals with the econometric analysis on the influence of selected characteristics of public contracts with respect to the decision making of bidders on public contracts regarding submissions to initiate proceedings to review the actions of the contracting authority at the Office for Protection of Competition. Logistic regression was applied to data on public procurement between the years 2007 and 2014, which was combined with the administrative decisions of the Office for the Protection of Competition, in order to identify the factors that affect the likelihood that the competitors will be protected against the conduct of the contracting authority by the Office for the Protection of Competition. The article also takes into account the possible obstructive behaviour of candidates, particularly those submissions which were subsequently withdrawn or submissions whose deposits were not paid.