Does accrual accounting make municipalities spend less?
利用意大利2011年公共部门会计改革作为准自然实验，研究发现权责发生制会计对地方公共支出有约束作用，能增强财政状况，且该效应在非选举期和高质量制度下更强。
Abstract Accrual accounting in the public sector aims to enhance fiscal transparency, decision-making, comparability, and cost-effectiveness. The Italian reform of public sector accounting in 2011 provides an excellent quasi-natural experiment for studying the effect of accrual accounting on public financial management. Our results indicate that accrual accounting has a disciplining effect on local public spending, strengthening fiscal positions. Importantly, we demonstrate that the effect varies across municipalities: It is stronger during non-electoral periods and for high-quality institutions.