A translog production function for the Spanish provinces: Impact of the human and physical capital in economic growth

A translog production function and an extended translog production function with third-order terms are estimated for the 50 Spanish provinces in the period 1985–2006. The results show the existence of complementarity relationships between private physical and human capital. Likewise, they show the existence of decreasing returns of private physical and human capital. However, the direction of the decreasing returns of private physical capital is reversed for a high endowment level of this factor. These results suggest the importance of capitalizing the Spanish economy, since it would increase the effect of human capital upon productivity and may also generate positive externalities.     

Growth,convergence and public investment. A Bayesian model averaging approach

The aim of this study is twofold. First, the determinants of economic growth are studied among a wide set of potential variables for the Spanish provinces (NUTS3). Among others, various types of private, public and human capital in the group of growth factors are included. Also, it is analysed whether Spanish provinces have converged in economic terms in recent decades. The second objective is to obtain cross-section and panel data parameter estimates that are robust to model specification. For this purpose, a Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) approach is used. Bayesian methodology constructs parameter estimates as a weighted average of linear regression estimates for every possible combination of included variables. The weight of each regression estimate is given by the posterior probability of each model.     

The economic consequences of the Spanish Reconquest: the long-term effects of Medieval conquest and colonization

This paper shows that a historical process that ended more than five centuries ago, the Reconquest, is very important to explain Spanish regional economic development down to the present day. An indicator measuring the rate of Reconquest reveals a heavily negative effect on current income differences across the Spanish provinces. A main intervening factor in the impact the Reconquest has had is the concentration of economic and political power in a few hands, excluding large segments of the population from access to economic opportunities when Spain entered the industrialization phase. The timing of the effect is consistent with this argument. A general implication of our analysis is that large frontier expansions may favor a political equilibrium among the colonizing agents that is biased toward the elite, creating the conditions for an inegalitarian society, with negative consequences for long-term economic development.     

Well-being and the Great Recession in Spain

This letter assesses the impact of the Great Recession on well-being in Spanish provinces using two alternative composite indicators of objective well-being that include somewhat different dimensions. Whereas the crisis notably eroded economic well-being, its impact on overall well-being – which in addition to economic dimensions also includes non-economic ones – was imperceptible. This result points to the need to carefully define and assess well-being in empirical analyses.     

What leads to official corruption in China? A politico-economic analysis of economic opportunities and government corruption across China’s provinces

This paper investigates the relationship between economic opportunities and official corruption in China. We construct a cross-province sample of corrupted officials to analyse the effects on official corruption of mineral reserve, coal production, real estate and road construction, while including control variables such as population, GDP per capita, economic growth rate, private assets, provincial government capacity, fiscal transparency and distance of the province from Beijing. Spanning from December 2012 to November 2015, our sample contains 526 high-level government officials who worked in various provinces in China. We find through multivariate regression that economic opportunities represented by coal, minerals, real estate and road construction all have a positive and significant effect on official corruption in China at the levels of provincial department director or deputy director; meanwhile, capacity of political extraction, road construction and coal production are better indicators of official corruption at the level of governor or deputy governor.     

The effects of public infrastructure on the cost structure of Spanish industries

This paper examines the impact of public infrastructures on the performance of Spanish private business at a disaggregated industry level. We use duality theory to recover the productivity effects of public capital by calculating the cost saving effects that are associated to public services. Using a translog cost function we present panel estimates for 14 Spanish industries during the period 1980–1991. Our results strongly suggest that public capital formation can be considered to be an instrument to improve competitiveness by reducing production costs. However, the results also indicate that there is a technologically induced labor saving effect through higher public investment. Furthermore, our estimates suggest that a distinction among industries is of importance because the effects of public infrastructures vary across industries considerably.     

Finding the cointegration and causal linkages between the electricity production and economic growth in Pakistan

The present study reveals the impact of electricity production on economic growth in Pakistan. It covers the period of 1975–2010, and assumes a log-linear relationship between the variables. The bounds test for cointegration indicates a unique long-run relationship between the variables. Moreover, it finds that sub-optimal electricity production is eroding the private business investment in the short run. Based on these facts, this study advocates the promotion of hydropower plants that are beneficial for two reasons. First, it would produce clean power in the country. Second, the cost of production would also drop resulting in lower tariff rates. Finally, it finds bidirectional causal relationship between the variables in the long run whereas no causal relationship is found in the short run.     

ESTIMATION OF THE STOCK OF CAPITAL IN SPAIN

The paper presents the methodology and results of the estimation of the endowments of capital in the Spanish economy. It distinguishes between endowments of public capital and private capital. The series corresponding to the public sector cover the period 1955–97 and consider seven categories (or functions). The estimates are disaggregated by 17 regions and 50 provinces. The level of disaggregation is regional and provincial (NUTS2 and NUTS3 in European terminology). The private capital series cover the period 1964–97 and consider 17 sectors of production, with disaggregation at regional level. The information refers to two variables: gross formation of fixed capital (in current and constant pesetas) and capital stock in constant pesetas (base year 1990).     

Export expansion and economic growth: Evidence from Chinese Provinces

This paper examines the effect of exports on economic growth based on the data of 30 Chinese provinces from 1978 to 1995. A theoretical model is based on the neoclassical production function, in which exports can affect output growth. It was found that the growth rate of exports and the growth rate of per capita output are positively related; i.e. provinces with faster growth of exports grew faster than the provinces with slower export growth. It was also found that investment in state enterprises was insignificantly related to output growth, while investment in private enterprises was positively related to growth.     

Public investment and private capital formation in a vector error-correction model of growth

Most of the literature dealing with the impact of public investment on private capital formation and economic growth focuses either on cross-section or static analysis. However, investigation of the long-run dynamic interactions between private and public investment and growth is much more insightful for public policy aiming at the determination of the appropriate size of its public sector. This paper extends the model of Barth and Cordes (1980) and uses multivariate cointegration techniques to develop a vector error-correction model useful for investigating the long-run effects of public investment on private capital formation and economic growth. We apply our methodology to a developing country implementing the IMF debt-stabilization programmes and show how, in this country, public investment is having a negative short-run impact on private investment and a negative long-run impact on both private investment and economic growth.     

PUBLIC CAPITAL, PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY AND CONVERGENCE IN THE SPANISH REGIONS (1964–93)

This paper analyses the behaviour of productive efficiency in the Spanish regions for the period 1964–93. From a growth accounting approach, it describes the regional evolution of total factor productivity (TFP'), based on a private inputs production function. A stricter measure of efficiency is then quantified, which is not equivalent to Solow's residual, since public capital is included in the production function and constant returns to scale are not imposed. Finally, on the basis of the measures of total factor productivity and efficiency, the study discusses the existence of technological convergence among Spanish regions and the role played in it by public capital. The renewed interest in the analysis of the process of growth reflected in economic literature in recent years has also occurred in the case of the Spanish economy, with some peculiarities which are worth mentioning. In the 1980s, two important institutional changes took place: a profound political and administrative decentralization, the regions now being autonomous in many decisions on public expenditure, and the incorporation of Spain into the European Community, which as it is well known has a powerful regional policy. Both changes have meant that the analysis of regional economies, and especially their growth paths, have received much more attention from politicians and economists, and even from the population in general. In particular, intense discussion has taken place regarding the effects of development policies and on criteria for geographical distribution of infrastructures. In both cases, much attention has been paid to discussing their capacity to contribute to convergence among the different regions. As a consequence of this greater interest in the analysis of growth from a regional perspective, efforts have also been made to improve the relevant statistical information. In particular, statistical series have been drawn up for investment and accumulated capital stock in each region, both private and public.' This information, only recently available and the first of its kind, as far as we know, in the European regions, substantially broadens the possibilities of research into the Spanish case in this field, where before not even the simplest exercises in growth accounting could be attempted. Further-more, since the series now available allow the time dimension of growth analysis to be combined with the regional dimension, it is possible to work with a panel of data and apply the corresponding techniques. This article analyses the growth of the Spanish economy over the period 1964–93, during which it can be observed that the per capita income levels of the Spanish regions converged. The objective of the study is to evaluate this process of convergence in income from the perspective of the productive efficiency of the regions, in three different ways. First, Section I considers the importance of the contributions of the private factors of production and of improvements in total factor productivity to the growth of output. Secondly, section II studies the existing relationship between the standard measure of efficiency (Solow's residual or TFP') and a stricter measure when the endowments of public capital are considered. Section III analyses whether or not the convergence in per capita income     

可持续发展背景下中国资源型城市的双重结构转型

在我国可持续发展的战略背景下,资源型城市经历了由资源型部门向非资源型部门、由国有部门向非国有部门的双重结构转型过程。以全国24个省份的110个资源型城市作为样本,实证分析了双重结构转型与我国资源型城市经济发展的关系,得出长期过程中国有部门和资源型部门占比呈现先上升后下降的倒“U”型趋势的结论,并分析了金融抑制和市场垄断程度这两种外部约束因素对双重转型过程的影响。研究发现,金融抑制主要通过间接效应扭曲了资源配置,进而影响了体制转型的过程,减缓了国有经济占比下降的速度;而资源型城市的市场垄断性越强,其发展转型就越难以进行。根据以上结论为我国资源型城市的结构转型和可持续发展提出了政策建议。     

我国省级公共资本经济效应分析——基于面板VAR模型的实证分析

在现有文献研究的基础上,利用1999—2010年我国29个省(自治区、直辖市)的面板数据,基于内生增长理论构建计量经济模型,检验了公共资本存量、私人资本存量与经济增长之间的面板Granger因果关系。构建面板VAR模型度量公共资本存量对经济的冲击。结果表明:公共资本存量的冲击对人均私人资本存量和人均GDP都产生正向影响,但长期看该影响不具有持续效应。     

How market access shapes human capital accumulation in a peripheral country: the case of Spain

Human capital endowment is one of the main factors influencing the level of development of a region. This article analyses whether remoteness from economic activity has a negative effect on human capital accumulation and, consequently, on economic development. Making use of microdata, this research proves that remoteness from economic activity can explain the differences in the level of education observed across Spanish provinces over the last 50 years. The effect is significant even when controlling for the improvement of education supply. Nonetheless, the accessibility effect has been petering out since the 1960s due to decreasing barriers to mobility.     

营商环境对中国省域经济高质量发展的非线性影响——双元创新的调节效应

从市场化、便利化、法治化和国际化4个维度出发，构建我国省域层面营商环境评价指标体系，采用2012-2019年中国省际面板数据，实证检验营商环境对中国经济高质量发展的非线性影响，探讨双元创新的调节效应。研究表明：①营商环境对经济高质量发展具有非线性影响，二者之间呈现“先抑后扬”的U型关系，我国大多数东部省份和少数西部省份已经跨过拐点，其余省份均位于拐点左侧，中部和西部地区营商环境水平有待提升；②双元创新对营商环境与经济高质量发展U型关系起正向调节作用。当探索式创新水平较高时，U型曲线变得更陡峭且拐点会提前出现；当利用式创新水平较高时，U型曲线变得更陡峭且拐点会延迟出现。另外，替换双元创新测度指标对营商环境不同维度进行稳健性检验也得出类似结论。     

The determinants of household and private savings in Thailand

A broad set of possible determinants of household and private savings behaviour is examined through an in-depth case study of Thailand during the period 1960 to 2004. Results suggest that an increase in economic growth, inflation and terms of trade all have a significant positive impact on household and private saving rates. In contrast, the availability of bank credit tends to reduce household and private saving rates. While an increase in both old and young dependency has a negative impact on household and private saving rates, the magnitude of the impact on the former is far greater than that on the latter. Furthermore, public saving seems to crowd out household and private saving, but less than proportionately. This reflects a possible role of fiscal policy in increasing national savings in the economy. Over and above these variables, corporate saving is another important determinant of household saving. An increase in the former brings about a significant reduction in the latter.     

Inter-provincial migration and inequality during Vietnam's transition

Vietnam's economic boom during the transition to a market economy has centered on very rapid growth in some sectors and provinces, yet poverty has diminished across the entire country. With capital investments highly concentrated by province and sector, geographic labor mobility may be critical in spreading the gains from growth. Conversely, rising income inequality may be attributable in part to impediments to migration. We first use census data to investigate migration patterns and determinants. We then examine the role of migration as an influence on income ratios between pairs of provinces. The former analysis robustly confirms economic motives for migration but also suggests the existence of poverty-related labor immobility at the provincial level. Examination of income ratios between pairs of provinces reveals that the impact of migration on inequality can be either negative or positive. A robust inequality-reducing impact of migration is found for migration flows into provinces where most of Vietnam's trade-oriented industrial investments are located.     

碳税征收对经济增长与产业结构影响的实证分析

征收碳税已成为众多国家推动低碳经济发展的重要经济措施之一。为了检验征收碳税对中国经济增长可能造成的影响,对征收碳税与经济增长的关系进行实证分析,得出以下结论:征收碳税对经济增长的影响存在显著的地域和行业差异,在较低强度的碳税政策下,碳税对中东部地区大部分省份的经济增长有促进作用,但阻碍中西部地区一些省份的经济增长;同时,征收碳税对大多数行业的发展起推动作用,却不利于少数行业的发展。     

区域科技投入对经济社会发展水平的影响研究

本文运用主成分分析和因子分析方法评价了2001年～2009年我国30个省、市、自治区(西藏除外)科技投入与经济社会发展的综合水平,并通过面板数据就科技投入对经济社会发展水平的影响进行了分析。结果表明:在科技投入水平上,东部与中、西部地区差距呈现扩大趋势;在人均经济社会总量和环境水平上,科技投入对西部地区影响最大;在经济社会发展综合水平上,科技投入对东部地区影响最大。     

Short- and long-run relationships between natural gas consumption and economic growth: Evidence from Pakistan

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth in Pakistan using a multivariate model by including capital and labor as control variables for the period between 1972QI and 2011QIV. The results of the ARDL bound testing indicate the presence of cointegration relationships among the variables. The estimated long-run impact of gas consumption on economic growth is greater than other factor inputs suggesting that energy is a critical driver of production and growth in Pakistan. Furthermore, the results of causality test suggest that natural gas consumption and economic growth are complements. Given that natural gas constitutes to the primary source of energy in Pakistan, the implication of this study is that natural gas conservation policies could harm growth and, therefore, requires the policy makers to improve the energy supply efficiency as well as formulate appropriate policies to attract investment and establish public–private partnership initiatives.