UC San Diego

These essays explore how institutional features of the U.S. government interact with the broader economy in response to economic shocks. Chapter 1 studies the channels by which powerful legislators can influence the spatial distribution of federal procurement spending. Chapter 2 examines the role that Tax and Expenditure Limitations play in municipal governments' response to economic fluctuations. Chapter 3 investigates the effects of electoral vulnerability on district level spending for majority party members of the U.S. House of Representatives in an effort to tease out the features of spending that are thought to provide the greatest electoral benefit.