House price convergence: Evidence from US state and metropolitan area panels

We study house price convergence in panels of US states and metropolitan areas. Our analysis is centered on three issues. First, we test whether the US house prices are converging over time using log t convergence test by Phillips and Sul (2007). The test results suggest that there is little evidence of overall convergence. The second issue is to investigate the possibility of a convergence club where the cross-sectional dispersion of house prices of the club members decreases over time. We utilize a clustering algorithm and the results support that there is strong evidence of multiple convergence clubs. Finally, we examine the general characteristics of the various convergence and divergence subgroups as well as some important driving forces of convergence clubs. We find that housing supply regulation together with climate are important determinants of convergence club membership.     

Identification and Estimation of Club Convergence Models with Spatial Dependence

This article deals with heterogeneity and spatial dependence in economic growth analysis by developing a two‐stage strategy that identifies clubs by a mapping analysis and estimates a club convergence model with spatial dependence. Since estimation of this class of convergence models in the presence of regional heterogeneity poses both identification and collinearity problems, we develop an entropy‐based estimation procedure that simultaneously takes account of ill‐posed and ill‐conditioned inference problems. The two‐step strategy is applied to assess the existence of club convergence and to estimate a two‐club spatial convergence model across Italian regions over the period 1970 to 2000.     

Italian economic dualism and convergence clubs at regional level

This paper gives a contribution to the debate on regional convergence by comparing the long run prediction of convergence clubs introduced by Quah (1996 and 1997) with the actual observed dynamics of the Italian regions during the period 1970–2004. To this end we analyze the evolution of per capita income levels for the Italian regions using a non-traditional (non-parametric) statistical model. In addition we segment the set of economies by the mean of hierarchical clustering methodologies and compare the trajectories of the regions by introducing different notions of distance. The general conclusion is that the average distance identifies a clear division between a high performance club consisting of regions from the Center North, and a low performance club composed by regions from the South and islands. The presence of a cluster composed by Center North regions is substantially confirmed by the distance correlation analysis, suggesting an homogeneous response to external shocks. By contrast Southern regions display the same dynamical evolution but difference in co-movements. Our analysis provides hints about the fundamentals that link the regions in their process of divergence. In fact the performance clubs pattern we discovered reflects the distribution of economic activities as well as the structural attributes of the regional economies.     

Is there convergence amongst shadow economies? International evidence

This paper examines convergence among cross-country shadow economies. Using the Phillips-Sul (2007, 2009) club convergence approach and data for over 150 countries from 1991 to 2017, the results show evidence against absolute convergence for all shadow economies; however, we find evidence of multiple convergence clubs. In particular, we find evidence for seven distinct convergence clubs and six divergent shadow economies. Each club is characterised by an increasingly larger shadow economy with the countries in club 1 having the largest shadow economy and those in club 7 having the smallest shadow economy. Using a two-way fixed effects approach, we also find that the determinants of the shadow economy are somewhat conditional on the convergence club. The existence of multiple equilibria suggests that policy makers in their attempt to combat the shadow economy would benefit by considering the different transitional paths associated with the different convergence clubs.     

Clubs in an urban setting

In this paper the properties of a congestable concentrated local public good (CCoLPG) are described, taking into account both locational aspects and congestion. This discussion, therefore, completes the analysis of congestable local public goods (LPG) which was started in our earlier paper (Congestable local public goods in an urban setting, J. Urban Econ., 290–310 (1982). It is here shown that the optimal provision of CCoLPG leads to the creation of clubs, where the government has to determine the location and provide the optimal quantity of LPG in each club and also levy congestion tolls on users according to their level of utilization of the club. Congestion tolls cover the αest part of the costs, where α is the level of congestability of the CCoLPG. The rest of the costs are covered by taxing land rents. Clubs will form, possibly more than one per city, even if the LPG is pure (i.e., α = 0) and they will contain a single household if the LPG is private (i.e., α = 1). The difference between these results and those of classical club theorists stem from the fact that here we also take into account the limited supply of land of given accessibility (i.e., locational aspects), which like congestion lead to the creation of clubs. When these two factors are considered together, it explains why congestion tolls alone are not sufficient to finance clubs' operations, or why pure LPGs also have to be provided locally, etc.     

STRUCTURAL CHANGE AND GROWTH IN CHINA UNDER ECONOMIC REFORMS: PATTERNS,CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS

This paper investigates the patterns, causes, and implications of China's structural change and its contribution to China's regional growth. Among many other findings, our regression results show that conditional convergence exists across different regions in China. Regional structural change has a convergence effect and regional openness facilitates regional structural change. Structural shocks and structural transformation had the opposite effect on China's interregional convergence during the 1990s, though the combined effect of overall structural change is a convergence effect. We also find that Chinese regions rely more heavily on structural change for labor productivity growth as the economy evolves. In summary, the results of our empirical analysis support the hypothesis underlying the theoretical model of this paper.     

Do natural resources define convergence clubs? Empirical evidence from the Kazakh regions

This paper deals with the hypothesis that natural resources are important in forming convergence clubs. We check this hypothesis by applying a dependence and an endowment measure of natural resource abundance and a regression tree analysis. The results indicate that for the Kazakh regions natural resources do indeed play an important role in forming convergence clubs. It is further shown that natural resource endowment rather than resource dependence determines initial conditions and thereby convergence clubs.     

Spatial dependence,agglomeration externalities and the convergence of carbon productivity

By combining the extended slack based measurement (SBM) model directed distance function and the meta-constrained production function to measure China's carbon productivity, this paper studies the spatial spillover effects and convergence characteristics of carbon productivity. According to the results, carbon productivity showed obvious viscosity and spatial dependence in adjacent regions. China's carbon productivity had spatial conditional β-convergence and club convergence effects. Specifically, agglomeration externalities constituted an important mechanism for increasing carbon productivity and realizing the convergence thereof. Different agglomeration forms under different agglomeration degrees corresponded to different carbon productivity levels; with an increase in the degree of agglomeration, the emission reduction effect of specialized agglomeration diminished, while that of diversified agglomeration increased. Furthermore, depending on suitable agglomeration degrees, the emission reduction effect of specialized agglomeration could coexist with that of diversified agglomeration. In terms of regional distribution, in East China, both specialized agglomeration and diversified agglomeration presented relatively significant emission reduction effects. In contrast, in Central China and West China, only specialized agglomeration showed a weak emission reduction effect.     

Individual efficiency and club performance: a panel analysis of professional baseball

This paper investigates whether players' individual‐ and club‐level efficiency has substantial impact on club performance in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Using data from 1990 to 2000, and a stochastic frontier model, we propose a different way to measure club‐level efficiency. Our empirical results indicate that club‐level efficiency is crucial to club performance, measured by the winning percentage. Although the literature shows that some inefficient clubs with abundant resources are still very successful on the diamond, our results confirm that club‐level efficiency has a moderate impact on the success of a baseball club in the CPBL. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The performance of green innovation: From an efficiency perspective

In this new stage of global economic development, we hope to achieve both economic development and environmental improvements via innovation. Green innovation aims to meet the dual goals of economic development and ecological protection. The scientific evaluation of the performance of China's green innovation appears to be quite meaningful. Some studies have evaluated the performance of green innovation, but are limited by the use of a single efficiency measurement method. To fill this research gap, this article uses a combination of two methods to evaluate green innovation efficiency, which provides a more precise evaluation of efficiency. Specifically, this article uses the vertical-and-horizontal scatter degree method to construct a pollutant index and then sets that index as the undesirable output in a slacks-based measure (SBM) model to evaluate efficiency. To further study the regional differences in green innovation efficiency, this article uses a convergence model. Most existing convergence analyses ignore spatial elements. Focusing on the influence of spatial factors, this article introduces a spatial econometric model into the convergence analyses. This article draws the following main conclusions. (i) The efficiency of green innovation in the country as a whole has been increasing each year, and green innovation efficiency in the central and western regions has increased significantly. (ii) Regional differences have narrowed each year. (iii) Green innovation efficiency is significantly positively spatially correlated, which is reflected in the spatial agglomeration of regions with the same efficiency level. (iv) Green innovation efficiency exhibits σ-convergence and spatial conditional β-convergence. (iv) Spatial factors accelerate the convergence of green innovation efficiency.     

A pair-wise approach to testing for output and growth convergence

This paper proposes a pair-wise approach to testing for output convergence that considers all N(N-1)/2$N(N-1)/2$ possible pairs of log per-capita output gaps across N economies. A general probabilistic definition of output convergence is also proposed, which suggests that all such output gap pairs must be stationary with a constant mean. The approach is compatible with individual output series having unit roots, or other non-stationary common components and does not involve the choice of a reference country in computation of output gaps. It is also applicable when N is large relative to T (the time dimension of the panel). After providing some encouraging Monte Carlo evidence on the small sample properties of the pair-wise test, the test is applied to output series in the Penn World Tables over 1950–2000. Overall, the results do not support output convergence, and suggest that the findings of convergence clubs in the literature might be spurious. However, significant evidence of growth convergence is found, a result which is reasonably robust to the choice of the sample period and country groupings. Non-convergence of log per-capita outputs combined with growth convergence suggests that while common technological progress seems to have been diffusing reasonably widely across economies, there are nevertheless important country-specific factors that render output gaps highly persistent, such that we cannot be sure that the probability for the output gaps to lie within a fixed range will be non-zero.     

House price convergence in euro zone and non-euro zone countries

This study investigates whether single currency use increased house price convergence among various countries. First, the panel unit root test results indicate that the house prices in euro zone countries were more correlated than the house prices in non-euro zone countries. Second, the house prices in various European countries converged towards the house prices in Germany, which uses the single currency, rather than towards those in the United Kingdom, indicating that single currency use increased the influence of the German housing market on other markets. Finally, the log t regression model, a new convergence test, was employed and determined that the house prices in various European countries were not converging before 1992 but began to do so after that year. After the euro was implemented as an official currency, the house prices in various countries converged towards a consistent level. On the basis of the relative transition paths, this study determines that the differences among housing markets in various countries have continuously decreased since 1992. The empirical results indicate that the law of one price is applicable to tradable goods and that single currency use can integrate housing markets, which include non-tradable goods.     

Is the Grass Greener? Switching Costs and Geographic Proximity in the High Status Affiliations of Professional Baseball

Professional baseball operates a tiered system of talent development facilitated by alliances between Minor League Baseball (MiLB) clubs and higher status Major League Baseball (MLB) parent teams. This study applies management theory to advance the literature on MiLB demand modeling by proposing and testing a new set of demand determinants based on interorganizational alliance principles. Team executives at the AA level should be alert to the high cost of switching team alliances and of changing to a parent club in closer geographical proximity. At the AAA level, affiliation with a winning MLB club exerts a positive effect on AAA demand. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Risk assessment of China's foreign direct investment in "One Belt,One Road": Taking the green finance as a research perspective

With the active promotion of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, overseas investment has shown a market prospect of explosive growth in various countries and has received continuous attention from scholars at home and abroad. With the proposal of the goal of carbon neutrality in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, green investment has become a new driving force for foreign investment. Based on the theory of quality function deployment (QFD) and the G1 entropy method in fuzzy mathematics, this paper constructs 10 risk indicators of China's foreign investment from the perspective of green from the four levels of economic risk, environmental risk, social and cultural risk and political risk, and studies 61 countries along the line. The results show that the four types of risks have an important impact on China's foreign investment. Therefore, Chinese government and enterprises should strengthen the comprehensive evaluation of the overall situation of the host country when investing. Our research has not only achieved theoretical improvement and practical innovation, but also put forward targeted suggestions for China to strengthen risk prevention and control of investment in countries along the "Belt and Road" from the perspective of green finance.     

Local income redistribution: A club-theoretic analysis

This paper analyzes optimal income redistribution in a club model where interclub transfers are ruled out (redistribution must proceed on a local level in heterogeneous clubs). This assumption induces a trade-off between equity and efficiency in that the efficiency loss associated with club heterogeneity must be borne in order for redistribution to occur. The optimal club structure depends on society's evaluation of this trade-off.     

The Economic Convergence Performance of Central and Eastern European Countries

A critical discussion of a comparative growth analysis about Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries is performed. The main conclusion is that there was economic convergence for most CEE accession candidates, but not between them and Western Europe. Results do justify a separation into first and second-wave accession countries, but also undermine differences in Central and Eastern Europe between accession and non-accession countries.This paper critically examines theories and empirical studies for three types of convergence, namely , and club convergence. Each can be in absolute terms or conditional to the long-term equilibrium (steady state) for each country.Empirical results are provided for all types of convergence from 1996 to 2000, both with population-weighted and non-weighted data. The analysis is performed for differently framed country subgroups considering even Western Europe for better comparability. Once absolute convergence is found through a unit root test about a standard deviation time series of cross-sectional income per capita, the regression coefficient for initial income per capita with the average growth over the sample period as dependent variable ( convergence) establishes the speed of this process. The same method applies to the conditional version by using the distance of the income from the corresponding steady state instead of the level of GDP. Then Markov chain probability matrixes (club convergence) provide information about the past behaviour of the whole cross-sectional income distribution over time, but also about intra-mobility of single countries.     

我国普通高校体育俱乐部发展若干问题研究

普通高校发展体育俱乐部是体育教学训练的需要,也是高校学校体育改革多年实践探索的成功产物,但是体育俱乐部在发展过程中也出现了各种各样的问题。笔者运用文献资料、专家访谈、实证调查等研究方法对目前我国普通高校体育俱乐部发展中出现的主要问题进行讨论和分析,旨在为优化我国普通高校体育俱乐部的发展提供一些有益的参考。     

数字普惠金融推动农业高质量发展的路径选择——基于黑龙江省农业数字普惠金融案例分析

数字普惠金融是我国金融发展历程中的重大举措,研究数字普惠金融对农业高质量发展的影响及作用路径具有重要意义。将农业生产技术创新、城乡收入协调、农业经济可持续发展、农业市场扩大开放和农业发展成果共享设定为农业高质量发展的目标,把数字普惠金融中的融资便利、融资成本、融资风险以及农民的金融素养作为前置影响因素,分析数字普惠金融在农村经济发展中的作用以及考察农村数普惠金融如何影响农业高质量发展的五纬目标进而促进农业高质量发展的实现。研究结果发现：农村数字普惠金融的便利性增加以及融资成本和风险的下降可以促进农村数字普惠金融发展,农民金融素养的提高也有利于农村数字普惠金融进一步的推进;农村数字普惠金融扩大使用可以通过提升农业生产技术创新、农业市场扩大开放、农业发展成果共享、农业经济可持续发展以及城乡收入协调等途径实现农业高质量发展。最后,以黑龙江省农业数字普惠金融发展现状为例,进一步分析当前我国农业数字普惠金融的发展模式及面临的主要问题,并提出农业数字普惠金融促进农业高质量发展的对策建议。     

公众环境关注度促进了绿色金融发展吗？——来自中国284个城市的经验证据

基于2011—2019年中国284个城市的面板数据,实证检验了公众环境关注度对绿色金融发展的影响。研究结果表明,公众环境关注度对绿色金融发展存在显著正向影响,这一结论在经过一系列稳健性检验后依然成立。传导机制检验表明,公众环境关注度促进政府提高环境规制强度,进而推动绿色金融发展。调节性效应检验表明,地区经济发展水平、地区绿色创新水平能够正向调节公众环境关注度对绿色金融的正向影响。异质性检验表明,在中西部地区、教育水平较高、污染排放量较高、环境信息公开的地区,公众环境关注度对绿色金融的促进作用更加显著。推进绿色金融发展必须激发公众对环境的关注,完善公众参与机制,提升绿色创新水平,制定差异化发展战略。     

中国农村金融成熟度的测量与实证研究

借鉴CMM模型,以1978—2013年的中国农村金融运行数据为研究对象,构建农村金融成熟度模型,用于测量和分析改革开放以来中国农村金融发展轨迹,研究结果表明：我国农村金融成熟度总体保持上升趋势,且在2007年以后出现加速上升趋势,但也存在波动;规模、结构以及效率指标对我国农村金融成熟度的贡献差异较大,其中规模维度占据主导作用,凸显了我国农村金融在发展过程中忽视了各层面协调发展的特征。