Technological Diffusion, Convergence, and Growth

We construct a model that combines elements of endogenousgrowth with the convergence implications of the neoclassicalgrowth model. In the long run, the world growth rate is drivenby discoveries in the technologically leading economies. Followersconverge toward the leaders because copying is cheaper than innovationover some range. A tendency for copying costs to increase reducesfollowers growth rates and thereby generates a pattern of conditionalconvergence. We discuss how countries are selected to be technologicalleaders, and we assess welfare implications. Poorly defined intellectualproperty rights imply that leaders have insufficient incentiveto invent and followers have excessive incentive to copy.     

Public Capital and Economic Growth: A Convergence Approach

This paper estimates dynamic effects of public capital on output per capita. Based on an open economy growth model, I derive a version of the income convergence equation augmented with public capital. This equation is estimated using panel data of United States and Japanese regions. Sensible results are obtained when public capital is disaggregated into components. In both countries, the infrastructure component of public capital turns out to have significantly positive effects. The implied elasticity of output with respect to infrastructure is somewhere around 0.1 to 0.15. This suggests a modest contribution of infrastructure to postwar growth of the two countries.     

The Conditional Convergence Properties of Simple Kaldorian Growth Models

Findings of conditional convergence are usually interpreted within a neoclassical growth framework. This follows from the methodology of testing for conditional convergence, whereby the estimating equation is explicitly derived from a neoclassical growth model. Given this explicit derivation, findings of conditional convergence might be thought to discriminate against alternative approaches to growth in general and the Kaldorian approach to growth in particular. This article shows, however, that this is not the case. It does so by examining the conditional convergence properties of the ‘core’ model of Kaldorian growth theory—the Kaldor‐Dixon‐Thirlwall (KDT) model. In particular, the paper demonstrates that this model predicts conditional convergence of a qualitatively identical nature to that predicted by the neoclassical growth model. A simple extension of the KDT model that is reconciled with quantitative estimates of the speed of conditional convergence is also presented.     

科技型人才聚集对区域经济增长收敛的影响分析

已有研究关于区域经济增长收敛方面的文献发现,目前学者们对拥有高新知识、掌握先进技能的科技型人才在区域经济增长中的作用缺乏系统的分析。本文在科技型人才聚集效应分析和卢卡斯人力资本外部性模型的基础上引入了科技型人才概念和科技型人力资本经济增长模型,通过样本数据分析了1978～2006年科技型人力资本与区域经济增长的内在联系,得出知识经济时代科技型人才聚集既是影响区域经济增长的重要因素也是影响区域经济增长收敛的关键性因素,并提出相关的政策建议。     

劳动力流动与收入收敛--一个改进的新古典增长模型及对中国的启示

文章将劳动力的流动性引进新古典增长模型,对于一个拥有一定资本密度的小型开放经济体而言,当它低于稳态时,劳动力的迁出会加快收入收敛的速度,但同时会对整体资本投资产生抑制作用;在收入水平相对较低时,这种抑制作用会超过其正面作用,从而劳动力流动会减缓收入收敛的速度;但从长期来看,随着劳动力流动性的提高,正面作用最终会占据主导地位,从而劳动力的无限自由流动会最终导致收入收敛于稳态.     

知识溢出下增长收敛的复杂性

在知识经济条件下,贸易自由化能否对一个国家的产出水平产生影响,能否为国际经济带来收敛,这是一个重要问题。文章通过假设国家之间构成一个知识网络,贸易中存在非线性的知识溢出,模拟了单边或多边关税下调对一个国际经济增长的收敛行为。研究结果表明,进入WTO体系后关税下调并不总意味着收敛的出现,收敛性依各经济体的初始状态和学习能力的大小而出现复杂行为,在知识网络体系单元取向上,网络的溢出参数——学习能力是决定性因素。多区域系统一旦出现收敛,则不会以牺牲富国利益为代价,即收敛是以低水平稳态向高水平稳态转移的形式出现的。     

Free Trade, Growth, and Convergence

Can trade liberalization have a permanent affect on output levels, and more important, does it have an impact on steady-state growth rates? The model emphasizes the role that knowledge spillovers emanating from heightened trade can have on income convergence and growth rates during transition and over the long run. Among the results of the model, unilateral liberalization by one country reduces the income gap between the liberalizing country and other, wealthier countries. From the long-run growth perspective, unilateral (and multilateral) liberalization generates a positive impact on the steady-state growth of all the trading countries.     

Autocatalytic Growth and Development and the South-North Convergence

Abstract:

This article engages with the issue of income convergence between North and South by using the autocatalytic hypothesis of growth and development. Two system models describe positive and negative feedback loops which govern economic flows between North and South. The analysis of endogenous and exogenous negative feedbacks points to the process that would slowly push the world economy towards vanishing growth rates and, eventually, halt its material growth. The present work rejects convergence in per capita GDP between North and South from the theoretical perspective. Such an outcome would stand against one of the fundamental properties of autocatalytic dynamics—centripetality— that has its causal roots in the competitive process and capitalist institutions. In that sense, the autocatalytic hypothesis provides a theoretical explanation for those empirical analyses that dismisses convergence.     

A Two-Sector Model of Endogenous Growth with Leisure

This paper analyses the equilibrium dynamics of an endogenous growth model with physical and human capital in which leisure enters the utility function. The inclusion of leisure introduces a potential source of non-convexities in our optimization problem and leads to the possible existence of multiple balanced growth paths. This multiplicity of optimal stationary solutions is linked to the assumption that education has no effect on the quality of leisure, and hence a relatively more educated economy may choose to grow faster, and devote more time to income-directed activities. To characterize the set of optimal solutions in our non-concave optimization framework we develop a new method of analysis that should be of interest in related applications.     

Long-Run Effects of Monetary Expansion in a Two-Sector Model of Endogenous Growth

This paper explores the long-run effects of monetary expansion by introducing a cash-in-advance constraint into one of the basic models of endogenous growth. In our model, the real side of the economy consists of two production sectors, one of which produces a final good that can be used either for consumption or for investment and the other produces new human capital. Both sectors use physical and human capital under constant returns to scale technologies. We first characterize the balanced-growth equilibrium and then examine how a rise in money growth affects the relevant variables, such as the long-term growth rate and the relative prices.     

Learning-by-doing versus Schooling in a Model of Endogenous Growth

A two sector model of learning-by-doing measured by means of production aggregated over time and of human capital accumulation in a schooling sector is presented. Time utilization is rival between schooling and learning-by-doing. Depending on the sum of elasticities of the accumulated factors (i.e., of production experience and educational human capital) in both sectors, a situation with or without endogenous growth results. Dynamic optimization of the choice between leisure and working and of the division of human capital between education and production is executed. Transitional dynamics are analyzed for a Cobb-Douglas example and a numerical simulation is performed.JEL classification: C61, D90, O41.Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Eric C. Meyer and two anonymous referees for helpful comments. The usual caveats apply.revised version received November 23, 2003     

追赶战略、人力资本及地区经济增长趋同——基于教育效率的水平创新模型的实证分析

文章基于一个教育效率的水平创新模型分析了落后地区对发达地区的人力资本与经济发展战略问题,指出人力资本是影响技术吸收与创新能力的主要因素。通常所言的静态比较优势战略无法改变落后地区在人力资本上的比较劣势,因而落后地区也就无法发挥所谓的后发优势进而实现与发达地区间的经济收敛。而只有基于教育质量与人力资本积累效率的提高,实行人力资本的动态比较优势战略或追赶战略才能让落后地区提高学习效率,真正发挥后发优势实现经济赶超。最后文章以中国为例验证了这一结论并简要提出了促进落后地区经济快速增长的政策建议。     

Human Capital and Growth: New Evidences from African Data

Assuming that all firms have rising marginal costs, merger between a dominant firm and one of the firms in the competitive fringe is considered. The effects on market price and output, profits and market power are shown when the dominant firm operates as a two-plant firm after merger and output arises from both plants. It is proved that if merger offers no efficiency gain, then market price always rises; and if merger results in efficiency gain, then market price falls if and only if there are sufficiently large number of firms in the fringe. In any case, there is profit incentive for merger to take place. [611]     

Equilibrium Dynamics in a Two-Sector Model with Taxes

In this paper we are concerned with the equilibrium dynamics of a two-sector model of endogenous growth with distortionary taxes. We show that for certain parameters values and tax schemes every equilibrium orbit—except the steady state solution—is non-interior; i.e., there are times in which one of the sectors is inactive. This analysis confirms that in multisector models the set of easily checkable, universal conditions that can guarantee the interiority of equilibrium solutions is rather limited. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D90, E22.     

生产要素、区域经济增长差异性和收敛性

一个经济体内各地区生产要素投入水平的差异是导致区域经济增长存在差异性的根本原因,也是影响区域经济增长收敛性的关键性因素。据此提出假说:一个经济体内生产要素投入变动的地区差异,将对区域经济增长收敛性产生影响。具体来说,发达地区生产要素投入的增加,将加剧区域经济增长发散;而落后地区生产要素投入的增加,将促进区域经济增长收敛。基于假说,进一步分析生产要素的流动对区域经济增长收敛性的影响,得出两个重要推论。并对改革开放以来福建和全国区域经济增长的收敛性进行实证研究。实证结果证实了两个推论,与研究假说相容。     

Convergence Revisited

The recent literature on convergence has departed fromthe earlier literature by focusing on the shape of the productionfunction and the rate at which an economy converges to its ownsteady state. This article uses advances from the recent literatureto look back at the question that originally motivated the convergenceliterature: what will the distribution of per capita income looklike in the future? Several results are highlighted by the analysis,including the suggestion that there is little reason to expectthe United States to maintain its position as world leader interms of output per worker.     

卡菜斯基增长模型的重新思考

鉴于卡莱斯基增长模型存在把经济增长完全归结为技术因素、只注重经济流量分析、适用范围窄等缺陷，本文将资本存量加入其中，使之成为一个可以反映市场经济关系的增长模型。同时，引入有效需求分析，得出一个重要结论：经济中收入流量对资本存量的变动，是导致有效需求不足问题的主要原因。为此，本文建议，在运用凯恩斯主义政策解决经济问题时，也必须注重对资本存量的调整。     

Ramsey Equilibrium in a Two-Sector Model with Heterogeneous Households

We prove an existence theorem for a stationary perfect foresight equilibrium under borrowing constraints in a two-sector model with infinitely lived heterogeneous agents. The most patient agent holds all the capital in this solution. We also show that if the capital goods sector is capital intensive and capital income is increasing in the aggregate capital stock, then the aggregate capital stock eventually is monotonic and converges to the steady state stock. If the consumption goods sector is more capital intensive and capital income is increasing in aggregate capital we prove convergence to the steady state under more restrictive conditions. Periodic equilibria are shown to exist under weaker hypotheses. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D52, D90, E13.