What impact do the quality and mix of state and local public services exert on economic development? Do high-quality services foster economic growth, even if accompanied by a high level of taxation? Are certain types of firms more sensitive to service quality than others? What are the difficulties inherent in measuring service quality, and how have investigators dealt with them?

Paper: Ronald C. Fisher
Discussion of Papers on Taxation and Public Services: Timothy J. Bartik, Harley T. Duncan, Therese J. McGuire, and Robert M. Ady