Economic Freedom and Economic Performance in Latin America: A Panel Data Analysis

This paper performs panel regressions of output per worker, capital intensity, human capital, and total factor productivity in Latin America on measures of economic freedom in five policy areas. Results show that a smaller government raises output per worker in Latin America but not in the OECD. Stronger property rights and a tighter monetary policy also raise output per worker, but greater freedom to trade internationally does not, despite doing so in the OECD. Deregulation lowers output per worker in both Latin America and the OECD. Finally, a tighter monetary policy raises total factor productivity (TFP) but reduces capital intensity in Latin America, while deregulation raises capital intensity but lowers TFP in both sets of countries.     

Accumulation pattern of the Brazilian economy in the 1990s and 2000s

This paper investigates the dynamic relationships among income distribution, debt ratio and capital accumulation in the Brazilian economy in the 1990s and 2000s. One explanation for the relatively slow growth of the Brazilian economy is the relatively low rate of investment. The paper presents an econometric model, based on Nishi, to investigate the causes of instability in investment in the period. It concludes that the Brazilian economy since the economic opening presents a debt-burdened pattern of capital accumulation.     

经济发展与环境污染空间面板数据分析

本文试图揭示中国经济发展与环境污染之间的空间扩散关系。根据Stem(2002)的模型,以SO2排放量来表征环境污染水平,利用MATLAB软件对2000-2010年间中国30个省、直辖市及自治区(西藏由于数据不全)的PANEL DATA进行面板回归分析,回归结果表明:SO2污染物质的排放与经济发展存在空间自相关,经济规模扩大、工业产业比重提高和贸易顺差会加剧我国环境污染,生产技术创新会降低我国环境污染,并估算了这四个要素对环境质量影响的各自实际贡献率。这一实证结果对于完善我国节能减排长效机制和制定相关环境保护政策、促进经济可持续发展战略具有重要的指导意义。     

The Causal Relationship between Economic Policy Uncertainty and Stock Market: A Panel Data Analysis

This study applies recently developed bootstrap panel Granger causality, proposed by Kónya, to investigate a causal link between economic policy uncertainty and stock markets in nine countries over monthly periods from 2003M01 to 2014M12 (Kónya (2006 Kónya, L. (2006). Exports and growth: Granger causality analysis on OECD countries with a panel data approach. Economic Modelling, 23, 978–992. doi: 10.1016/j.econmod.2006.04.008[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Exports and growth: Granger causality analysis on OECD countries with a panel data approach. Economic Modelling, 23, 978–992). The modeling allows us to examine both the cross-sectional dependency and the country-specific heterogeneity. The empirical results indicate that not all countries are alike, and that the theoretical prediction that stock markets fall at the announcement of a policy change is not always supported. Specifically, this work finds evidence of the stock market leading hypothesis for India, Italy, and Spain, while the economic policy uncertainty leading hypothesis cannot be rejected for the United Kingdom. In addition, the neutrality hypothesis was supported in the remaining countries (Canada, China, France, Germany and the United States), while the feedback hypothesis, however, is not found. The findings of this study could provide important policy implications for these nine countries.     

Competitiveness of the Euro Zone Manufacturing: A Panel Data Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to assess the main aspects involved in the competitiveness of manufacturing industries in the Euro zone area (EZ-12). To this end, we apply the generalized method of moments to a panel data error correction model. Our sample spans the period from 1970 to 2007, and our findings provide insight into the impact of manufacturing on the international competitiveness of European firms and industries. From the estimated magnitude of the relevant coefficients, we conclude that in the long run, a change in labor and capital compensation is not fully passed on to manufacturing growth, while an increase in the market power of the manufacturing sector will negatively affect its competitiveness.     

我国大城市PM2.5影响因素的经济分析——基于市级面板数据的实证研究

选取PM2.5污染较严重的京津冀、长三角、珠三角三大经济圈内的9个大城市和西部第一城重庆市等10个城市为研究对象,结合经济社会的发展,拟从影响空气中PM2.5含量的两大根源——自然因素和人为因素入手,运用主成分分析法进行综合分析。从整体看,人为因素贡献率达到75.66%,其中工业活动更是为第一主成分,自身贡献率为36.66%。但对于不同地区的不同城市,四个因子对PM2.5的影响程度呈现一定差异性,并对此进行详细对比分析。最后,得出结论与启示,提出相应的政策建议。     

Economic Reform and Corruption: Evidence from Panel Data

The notion that economic reform can reduce corruption remains prevalent in the policy agenda of international financial institutions, especially of the World Bank. Economic reforms have, therefore, been carried out throughout various parts of the world to improve the performance of the economies. Using data from 94 low‐ and middle‐income nations for the period 1996–2015, this study employs static and dynamic panel analysis to examine whether economic reform undertaken in accordance with the World Bank's reform programs negatively affects corruption. Our findings suggest that enhancing government effectiveness (i.e. independence of civil service from political pressure, provision of quality public services, effective policy formulation and the government's commitment to such policies) and improving public rights and civil liberties could be some of the most promising policies in terms of fighting corruption. The role of economic development and growth in real per capita income is also found to be significant in some of the specifications. However, the assertion that economic reform can reduce corruption is rejected in all the specifications. We rather find evidence that economic reforms negatively affect the ability of democracy to fight corruption, although on a slim margin. The central theme of the implications of our findings is that in combating corruption, social, institutional and legal means are far more important than economic means. The finding thus is compatible with the World Bank's effort in the later years to introduce governance and democracy as effective tool against corruption.     

我国经济增长与大气污染物排放的关系——基于分省面板数据的经验研究

本文应用1998-2004年期间我国30个省(市、自治区)的面板数据,通过综合简化型模型,研究了3种大气污染物和经济增长之间的关系.实证研究发现在3种大气污染物与经济增长之间不存在倒U型环境库兹涅茨曲线.二氧化硫排放与经济增长之间呈倒N型曲线,与多数研究结果不相符;同时,第二产业比重、经济增长速度、单位GDP能耗和环境政策强度四个解释变量总体上对3个大气污染物的排放具有显著影响,并包含明确的政策含义.     

我国土地财政的区域差异与成因——基于省际面板数据的实证研究

本文旨在揭示我国土地财政的量化特征和区域差异的成因。目前我国省际间土地财政强度差别较大,且在2003-2007年间呈现先下降继而小幅上升的变化轨迹。从东中西三大地带看,土地财政强度呈现＂东高西低＂格局。基于省际面板数据的实证检验结果支持土地财政动因的＂GDP锦标赛说＂而拒绝＂财政压力说＂。正是发展条件不同的各地区围绕GDP增长展开锦标赛,将土地作为招商引资筹码,以及推动城市扩张和大力发展房地产业的载体,从而导致了土地财政的区域差异。     

税收分权与经济增长——基于省际面板数据的实证分析

通过建立面板数据计量模型,利用1999-2008年中国30个省(自治区、直辖市)的数据(不含西藏和港澳台地区),对税收分权与经济增长之间的关系进行实证分析。结果显示:在中国式财政分权体制下,无论是从全国还是从分区域看,提高税收分权度对经济增长均具有消极作用。其原因并不是税收分权本身对经济增长有消极作用,而是不合理的税收分权制度安排,抵消了分权带来的激励效果。因此,要提高税收分权对经济增长的激励效果,就必须理顺中央与地方间的税权关系,赋予地方一定的税收立法权;理顺中央和地方间的事权关系,明晰各级政府的税权范围;理顺税费关系,规范制度外收入渠道,完善政府间财政转移支付制度。     

Intra-Industry Trade: A Static and Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

This study examines the features and determinants of intra-industry trade (IIT), horizontal IIT (HIIT) and vertical IIT (VIIT) between Portugal and the European Union in the period 1996–2002, using a static and a dynamic panel data analysis. The findings indicate that Portuguese VIIT increased significantly during the period in accordance with the values expected for a developed country. The regression results show that there is evidence supporting the explanation of VIIT by Heckscher–Ohlin’s (HO) theory and that Portugal has comparative advantages in low-quality differentiated products. The findings support the theory that, in general, there is no positive statistical association between HIIT and HO variables. The central theme of this paper is to show that it may be preferable to use the GMM approach in empirical studies of IIT rather than pooled OLS, fixed effects or random effects estimators. The results also suggest that the GMM system estimator obtains more reasonable parameter estimates than the first-differenced GMM estimator.

Reform, Interaction of Policies, and Economic Growth: Evidence from China’s Provincial Panel Data

Based on provincial panel data, we tested the effects of openness, denationalization, fiscal reform, and their interactions on Chinese regional economic growth. We found the following: (1) Openness, especially the growth of foreign-direct-investment/gross-domestic-product ratio, has been important in enhancing China’s growth since the mid-1980s, while this effect is not so significant in western China. (2) Fiscal reform is another significant factor for economic growth. If local governments deregulate, higher growth will be obtained. In particular, reducing extrabudget expenditure helps push economic growth, especially in western China. (3) The interaction of economic policies, such as openness, denationalization, and fiscal reform, also plays an essential role in local economic growth. Both for the whole nation and for the eastern area, denationalization does not affect growth independently but expands the effects of deregulation. (4) After controlling economic policies and their interactions, conditional convergence exists. (5) With other factors controlled, eastern China achieved higher growth, while the middle and western areas did not differ significantly in growth. (6) Western China, where policy variables have lower explanatory power for growth, has a growth pattern different from those of the eastern and middle areas. Translated from the World Economic Papers, 2005, (1) (in Chinese)     

土地贴现、资本深化与经济增长——基于省级面板数据的分析

利用1999-2007年中国30个省区市的面板数据实证分析表明:土地资本化对投资增长的弹性系数为0.21%;土地资本化一方面促进了地方政府的投资,另一方面又挤出了居民储蓄向实体经济投资的转换,使中国的土地资本化带有某种"荷兰病"的特征。分析表明,近年来快速的农地非农化所生成的土地资源并不是作为直接的生产要素进入生产过程,而是作为一种资源的资本化进行大量贴现,并推动当地政府投资和本地经济增长。土地资源的资本化不仅使中国经济闭锁于粗放的发展方式,难以持续,而且也对耕地资源的保护造成巨大的压力。     

经济全球化对我国劳动份额的影响及政策启示——基于省级面板数据的分析

笔者利用1993年～2009年间各省数据,对1993年～2009年、2002年～2009年、1993年～2001分别建立面板数据模型,研究了经济全球化对我国劳动份额的影响。研究表明:经济全球化对劳动份额的影响主要发生在2002年～2009年,由于1993年～2001年与2002年～2009年经济全球化对劳动份额的效应不同而相互抵消,1993年～2009年间经济全球化对劳动份额的影响不具有显著性,掩盖了经济全球化对我国劳动份额的影响。进一步以2002年～2009年间数据,对东、中和西部地区分别建立面板数据模型,研究表明:经济全球化对劳动份额的影响逐步由东部向中西部转移,并且可能会呈现倒U型趋势,即先上升后下降。因此,我们应降低外贸依存度,优化进出口商品结构,提高本土企业的国际竞争力,加大对中西部地区的政策引导力度,从而逐步提高劳动份额。     

金融发展、能源消费与经济增长关系研究——基于动态面板数据的分析

通过面板数据系统广义矩估计方法,从金融发展、能源消费与经济增长的角度对我国1985~2011年省份进行的实证分析发现,整体而言,金融发展、能源消费与经济增长之间存在显著正相关关系;按照东、中、西部三个地区分类估计得出,区域金融发展、能源消费对经济增长的作用效果存在显著的区域差异性:金融发展对经济增长的作用效果存在自东向西逐次递减的现象,而能源消费对东部地区经济增长的作用效果最大,西部居中,中部最小。     

我国区域经济趋同测度研究——基于面板数据空间计量模型的分析

本文采用面板数据空间计量模型测度我国31个省区1997—2008年经济趋同状况,并与横截面回归模型、面板数据模型的实证结果进行对照,结果表明,面板数据空间计量模型能更有效地测度我国省区经济发展过程中存在的空间相关性和异质性特征,是目前最适于分析我国区域经济趋同的计量经济模型。面板数据空间计量模型的实证结果表明,省区经济发展速度主要依赖于固定资产投资、市场化发展进程和周边地区经济发展水平等因素的影响。     

Smoking Behavior of Older Adults: A Panel Data Analysis Using HRS

Using longitudinal data from Health and Retirement Surveys over 1992–2010, this paper analyzes decisions by older American to continue smoking and the number of cigarettes to consume using two-part hurdle models with correlated effects. We build on the existing literature by incorporating a myriad of factors including cigarette prices, health shocks and smoke-free laws in one econometric framework. Our estimates indicate that higher cigarette prices play an important role in both reducing participation and the intensity of consumption even for this adult population. In addition, health shocks, as measured by newly diagnosed diseases, raise the probability of quitting, highlighting the ‘curative’ aspects of cessation. However, we find very little effect of health on smoking intensity if an older adult does not quit after a health shock. Per capita cigarette consumption in the US declined by over 64% during the period. We show that increased cigarette prices and health shocks together contribute almost equally to explain nearly 86% of the decline, with little that can be attributed to smoking bans and anti-smoking sentiment.

     

Evaluating Unit-Based Pricing of Residential Solid Waste: A Panel Data Analysis

Municipalities introduced unit-based pricing (UBP) with the aim of achieving a decrease in household waste generation and for the replacement of unsorted waste with recycling. Although many studies have shown that UBP has a short-run effect on recycling, few works have tackled the long-run effect on waste generation and recycling. By using panel data for 665 Japanese cities over 8 years, we examine the long-run effect of UBP on waste generation and recycling. The estimation results in waste generation suggest that there is a rebound effect, though a small one. We confirm that the effect of UBP on recycling sustains for the long run. We also find that the short- and long-run responses to an economic incentive for recycling activities differ with income groups. Recycling among the high-income group has not been promoted by implementation of UBP, but people in that group are willing to participate in recycling without an economic incentive. In contrast, recycling activity within the low-income group is strongly motivated by UBP for many years.     

经济增长对保险需求的引致效应--基于面板数据的分析

经济增长是影响保险需求的主要因素。根据预期效用理论,首先假设低收入和高收入群体边际保险消费倾向相对较低,中等收入群体边际保险消费倾向相对较高,即经济增长与边际保险消费倾向存在“倒U型”关系,且经济增长对寿险的引致效应要高于非寿险。然后采用面板数据模型,对1991~2003年全球78个国家和地区寿险和非寿险的边际消费倾向进行统计分析,研究发现两个假设基本成立。在此基础上,就当前我国保险业保费增长率减缓以及保费负增长的现象作了应用分析,并对此提出了具体政策建议。     

我国财政支出对经济增长非线性效应——基于省级面板数据的平滑转移模型实证分析

文章基于我国1997-2009年省级面板数据,采用数据本身隐含信息进行内分组的面板平滑转移模型来检验财政支出与经济增长之间的非线性效应,并进一步拓展了Armey曲线推论。研究发现,我国省级政府财政一般预算支出规模和财政支出结构均与经济增长之间存在Armey曲线所描绘的非线性效应,其中财政一般预算支出最优规模为9.32%,财政支出最优结构为1.643,并且财政一般预算支出规模与财政支出结构都在最优值两侧对经济增长的影响具有不对称性,相比而言,财政一般预算支出规模的转换速度似乎更快。这意味着现阶段我国财政一般预算支出规模与财政支出结构不合理,需要政府提高财政支出效率。