D. Bellante et P. Porter, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT OVER THE BUSINESS-CYCLE - A RATCHET THEORY OF GOVERNMENT GROWTH, Journal of labor research, 19(4), 1998, pp. 613-628
Previous researchers have attempted to explain the growth in the size
of government over time. Some have observed a ''ratchet'' effect and h
ale attributed these observed jumps in the relative size of government
to ideological shifts in response to severe crises. We explain these
observed ratchets as the consequence of asymmetries in the response of
government employment to the business cycle. A public-choice oriented
model of the employment response to the cycle is developed and applie
d to stare and local government employment data. The data confirm the
presence of ratchet effects that correspond to the business cycle. Mor
eover, virtually all of the growth in the ratio of slate and local gov
ernment employment to private employment has occurred during recession
s.