Abstract
This paper examines the impacts of the 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act which directed federal excises taxes on guns and hunting equipment to wildlife agencies on the condition that receiving states stop diverting license funds to purposes unrelated to wildlife conservation. Using panel data from 1925 to 1937, we find states with larger administrative sectors were more apt to divert wildlife revenues and that these diversions correlate with fewer licenses sold, suggesting adverse effects of diversions on wildlife conservation. Data for 1938-2018 shows that agencies increased license sales, suggesting the federal program had positive effects on long-run conservation.
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