Corruption, economic growth, and income inequality in Africa

This paper uses panel data from African countries and a dynamic panel estimator to investigate the effects of corruption on economic growth and income distribution. I find that corruption decreases economic growth directly and indirectly through decreased investment in physical capital. A unit increase in corruption reduces the growth rates of GDP and per capita income by between 0.75 and 0.9 percentage points and between 0.39 and 0.41 percentage points per year respectively. The results also indicate that increased corruption is positively correlated with income inequality. The combined effects of decreased income growth and increased inequality suggests that corruption hurts the poor more than the rich in African countries. Received: March 19, 2001 / Accepted: December 14, 2001 RID="*" ID="*" An earlier version of this paper was presented at the first AmFiTan International Conference on Development Ethics in February 2000, Dar er Salaam, Tanzania. I thank two anonymous referees of this Journal for helpful suggestions. I am, however, solely responsible for any remaining errors.     

Regional income inequality and economic development

It is the purpose of this paper to critically re-examine Williamson's original axiom of regional inequality as it relates to the process of national development under a new dimension: income distribution disparities within the population of the regions. The dynamic association between inequality and development in general and the convergence hypothesis in particular will be retested. Instead of Williamson's coefficient of variation we introduce a set of Regional Dissimilarity Indices that measures the dissimilarity of the spatial distribution of population by income at the national level.     

Impact of economic growth volatility on income inequality: ASEAN experience

The study attempts to examine the symmetric and the asymmetric impact of volatility of economic growth on the inequality of income in the major ASEAN economies over the period 1980–2015. Financial development, trade openness as a proxy of globalization, inflation, human capital formation, and fiscal policy are utilized as major control variables. The paper tries to explore the causal association between inequality of income distribution and economic growth volatility, exploring simultaneously the long-run association and the short-run dynamics in the time series structure. The study applied Clemente–Montanes–Reyes unit root test to identify the structural break in the time series. Further, the cointegrating relationship of the time series observations was explored by applying the ARDL (linear) bounds test approach along with the nonlinear ARDL for making fruitful comparisons in the long-run relationship among the variables. The countries chosen are Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and The Philippines. The empirical findings strongly suggest a long-run cointegrating relationship between income inequality and growth volatility with a positive and statistically significant impact. Also, the causality analysis was explored using the Toda and Yamamoto (1995) method of Granger causality. The causality test shows that there exists bidirectional causality from inequality transmission to economic growth volatility. The implications that are developed from this study helps us to understand the various policy reforms in the ASEAN region, that are more transparent and can make these economies less susceptible to risks.     

Natural inequality,production and economic growth

This paper explains why the effect of income inequality on productivity and growth is ambiguous. When income distribution exhibits inequality levels that are compatible with accepted criteria, productivity and growth ensue. When the divergence from an acceptable level of inequality occurs, then under certain conditions, we may expect lower (higher) production levels and lower (higher) levels of economic growth.     

Entrepreneurship,income distribution and economic growth

Traditionally different factors and variables have been considered in the economic growth models. Following Solow’s model, economists considered physical capital and technology during 1950s–1980s. With the introduction of endogenous growth models, new forms of capital were introduced in the production function; human capital, public capital and more recently social capital. However, the consideration of qualitative variables is necessary to improve the economic growth analysis. The improvement of statistical information has favored their introduction in the economic growth models. Recently, “entrepreneurship” concept has been considered in this type of analysis. Entrepreneurship considers the capacity and ability to create new business and production activity. It is an activity not an occupation. Some authors like Schumpeter have included it in their models and they have analysed its effects on economic growth. But it is also necessary to include the role of social climate, that in a schumpterian way it could be represented by income distribution. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the relationship between entrepreneurship, income distribution and economic growth following the ideas developed by Schumpeter and we will contrast them from a empirical analysis using the GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) data.     

Financial development,income and income inequality

Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination - The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, we present a model in which both income and income inequality are jointly determined in a...     

Exploring the nexus between tourism,remittances and growth in Kenya

Recently there has been a surge in remittances inflow to Kenya while tourism receipts appears to be declining, albeit gradually. In light of these developments, the paper explores the plausible effects of tourism and remittances on per worker output. We use the annual data over 1978–2010 periods and the ARDL bounds approach within the augmented (Solow in Q J Econ 70:65–94, 1956) framework. The regression results show that tourism has a marginal net negative effect in the short-run however positive effect in the long-run. Remittances, on the other hand, have a net positive effect in short-run and negative effect in the long-run. The key results from the Toda–Yamamoto Granger non-causality (Toda and Yamamoto in J Econom 66:225–250, 1995) results show a unidirectional causation from remittances to output per worker; and from output per worker to tourism. A unidirectional ‘combined effect’ of all variables causing output and remittances, respectively are evident as well. Conclusively, tourism is one of the leading drivers of Kenyan economy. To boost gains from tourism, the sector needs to align policies to the Kenya 2030 strategic framework with significant focus on expanding markets, boosting investment, and growth. Remittances market need to be further developed strategically with the view to improving Kenyan migrant led growth initiatives with plausible links to tourism development.     

Demographic transition and economic growth in China,India and Pakistan

The authors of this paper adopt a Solow–Swan model extended to include demographic variables to analyze the overall effect of demographic transition on economic growth. The results, based on data from seventy countries over the period 1961–2003, reveal that GDP per capita growth is positively related to the growth differential between the working-age population and the total population, and negatively related to child and old-age dependency ratios. Based on these results, they find that population dynamics explain 46 percent of economic growth in per capita GDP in China over the period 1961–2003, 39 percent in India, and 25 percent in Pakistan. Furthermore, population dynamics are expected to have a positive effect on economic growth in India and Pakistan over the period 2005–2050, and a negative effect in China.     

Re-examining the relationship between economic growth and inequality in the New Member States

The link between income inequality and economic growth has raised many debates in the literature and has generated a large spectrum of results over time. This paper aims at analyzing the relationship between economic growth and income inequality, as well as their macroeconomic and institutional determinants in the New Member States, between 2000 and 2009. In the presence of a set of explicative variables, the economic growth influences the social inequality through a U-shaped relationship. Health, education and gross capital formation generate different direct and indirect effects on income inequality as the per capita GDP growths, while the transition indicators are found to be either common or specific determinants of inequality and growth.     

Foreign capital inflows and economic growth of Pakistan

This study investigates the relationship of foreign capital inflows, namely foreign direct investment, workers’ remittances, and external debt with economic growth of Pakistan by employing time series data from 1976 to 2015. Cointegration results indicate that foreign capital inflows and economic growth have a significant relationship with economic growth in the long run. Ordinary least square results indicate foreign direct investment has a significant and negative effect on economic growth, whereas a significant positive effect of remittances and external debts on economic growth is found. Rolling windows analysis highlights the yearly effect of three different models. Two different sensitivity analyses confirmed that initial results are robust. The final section concludes the study and provides some policy implications.     

Electricity consumption and economic growth empirical evidence from Pakistan

The present article uses the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing procedure to identify the long run equilibrium relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth. Toda Yamamoto and Wald-test causality tests have identified the direction of the causal relationship between these two variables in the case of Pakistan in the period between 1971 and 2008. Ng-Perron and Clement-Montanes-Reyes unit root tests are used to handle the problem of integrating orders for variables. The results suggest that the two variables are in a long run equilibrium relationship and economic growth leads to electricity consumption and not vice versa.     

Role of tariffs,imports substitution and investment efficiency in economic growth of Pakistan

Quality & Quantity - This paper explores the impact of tariffs, imports substitution and investment efficiency on economic growth in Pakistan. For this purpose, secondary data was collected...     

Effects of international sharing of pollution abatement burdens on income inequality among countries

Improvements in environmental quality will boost output production and hence economic growth. However, although environmental abatement equally benefits all economies in the world, it is shown that, if the private productive resources are not yet accumulated sufficiently in low income economies, income inequality among economies can be widened in the short term not only under equal burden sharing of pollution abatement but even under income-proportional burden sharing. When the marginal productivity is diminishing, the negative effect of the burden is large relative to the positive effect of the improved environment in economies in which resources are not accumulated sufficiently.     

Agricultural exports and economic growth in Pakistan: an econometric reassessment

Agriculture sector works as backbone of Pakistan economy. In this modern era, exports work as locomotive of growth train. Pakistan earned a handsome amount through exports of agricultural raw material and refined products. This research investigates that either there is unidirectional or bidirectional association between agricultural exports and economic growth in Pakistan? For empirical investigation of relationships between economic growth and agricultural exports in Pakistan this study used most reliable econometric estimation tools, augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test, Johansen co-integration and Engle–Granger causality tests for 45 time series annul observations from 1970 to 2014. This research winds up that Pakistan’s agricultural exports have positive but insignificant association with gross domestic product growth. It is due to the primary and raw material agricultural products exports which cannot compete in international markets due to close competitions, lower quality and dearer price. Consequently, receive a trifling amount as exports earnings; contribute slightly in national economic growth.     

Unbalanced regional growth and regional income inequality in the latter stages of development

This paper empirically examines the pattern of regional income inequality displayed in advanced stages of economic development, building from the convergent phase of the inverted-U hypothesis, originally developed by Kuznets for personal income inequality, but adapted by Williamson for regional income inequality. It is hypothesized that once the inverted-U pattern is completed, regional income inequality increases, rather than remaining stable. Four analyses of intrastate per capital income inequality among countries are undertaken to test the hypothesis that regional inequality increases. Results indicate strong support for the hypothesis that regional income inequality increases in the latter stages of development.     

Human capital inequality and income inequality: testing for causality

This study investigates the causal relationship between human capital inequality and income inequality in case of Pakistan. The annual time series data ranging from 1973 to 2009 is used for econometric analysis. Johanson co-integration and Granger Causality tests are used to confirm the existence of long run relationship and the causal relationship between human capital inequality and income inequality. The results indicate that there is positive relationship between the two types of inequalities in the long run. The estimates of causality test indicate that income inequality causes the human capital inequality but human capital inequality does not cause income inequality. Policy initiatives to reduce income inequality may empower people economically to avail skill building opportunities and accumulate their human capital through access to educational services.     

Stock markets,banks and the sources of economic growth in low and high income countries

This paper studies the effects of stock markets and banks on the sources of economic growth, productivity and capital accumulation, using a large cross country panel that includes high- and low-income countries. Results show that, in low-income countries, banks have a sizable positive effect on capital accumulation. We find that stock markets, however, have not contributed to capital accumulation or productivity growth in these countries. Given the emphasis that has been placed in developing equity markets in developing countries, these findings are somewhat surprising. Conversely, in high-income countries, stock markets are found to have sizable positive effects on both productivity and capital growth, while banks only affect capital accumulation.     

The demographic effects of income redistribution and accelerated economic growth revisited

The statistical basis of Winegarden's conclusions, i.e., that an egalitarian redistribution of incomes in a typical low-income country would cause a substantial increase in fertility, was examined in detail in that it casts doubt about the validity of all previous econometric studies based on international cross-sectional data. Winegarden's model is reproduced as are his findings. The reexamination of Winegarden's (1984) findings revealed 3 areas which suggest that his conclusions may require modification. In regard to family planning, Winegarden's results indicated that the introduction of a state-supported family planning program would cause a large decline in natality after about a decade. A much weaker relationship emerged when the fertility equation was recomputed using a more appropriate economic method. Further, the results were highly sensitive to changes in the threshold year used to classify countries with regard to family planning programs. It is argued that a qualitative index devised by Mauldin and Berelson (1978) provides a more reliable way to measure the effects of such programs than the binary variable Winegarden used. The use of this index fundamentally altered the findings regarding economic growth and income distribution. According to Winegarden's calculations, faster economic growth would have a pronatal impact in the more economically advanced nations yet help to reduce fertility for those countries in the early stages of development. In contrast, it was found that variations in the rate of economic growth had no discernible impact on natality. Winegarden's results suggested that an egalitarian redistribution of incomes would cause substantial increase in fertility in a typical low-income country, but it was found here that these distributional effects would be fairly modest over a wide range of incomes. Consequently, it appears that any concern about the demographic effects of greater equality in less-developed countries is not well-founded. The potential for reducing natality in the richer nations by means of income redistribution may be overstated by Winegarden's results.