Infrastructure, specialization, and economic growth

We introduce infrastructure as a cost-reducing technology in Romer's (1987) model of endogenous growth. We show that infrastructure can promote specialization and long-run growth, even though its effect on the latter is non-monotonic, reflecting its resource costs. We provide evidence using data from the U.S. Census of Manufactures that suggests that the degree of specialization is positively correlated with core infrastructure, as predicted by the model. We also provide evidence from cross-country regressions, using physical measures of infrastructure provision, that shows a robust non-monotonic relationship between infrastructure and growth. JEL Classification: 041,050
Les auteurs introduisent l'infrastructure en tant que technologie réduisant les coûts dans un modèle de croissance endogène à la Romer (1987). On montre que l'infrastructure peut promouvoir la spécialisation et la croissance en longue péride, même si ses effets sur la croissance ne sont pas monotones et reflètent ses coûts en ressource. On montre, en utilisant les données du recensement des manufactures des Etats Unis, que le degré de spécialisation est relié positivement à l'infrastructure de base, comme le suggère le modèle. On montre aussi à l'aide de régressions transversales, utilisant des mesures physiques de l'infrastructure, qu'il existe une relation non monotone mais robuste entre infrastructure et croissance.     

Financial development and openness: Evidence from panel data

This paper addresses the empirical question of whether trade and financial openness can help explain the recent pace in financial development, as well as its variation across countries in recent years. Utilising annual data from developing and industrialised countries and dynamic panel estimation techniques, we provide evidence which suggests that both types of openness are statistically significant determinants of banking sector development. Our findings reveal that the marginal effects of trade (financial) openness are negatively related to the degree of financial (trade) openness, indicating that relatively closed economies stand to benefit most from opening up their trade and/or capital accounts. Although these economies may be able to accomplish more by taking steps to open both their trade and capital accounts, opening up one without the other could still generate gains in terms of banking sector development. Thus, our findings provide only partial support to the well known Rajan and Zingales hypothesis, which stipulates that both types of openness are necessary for financial development to take place.     

The relationship between the level and variability of inflation: Theory and evidence

This paper emphasizes the role played by asymmetric stabilization policies in producing the widely reported positive association between the level and variability of inflation. A simple theoretical model is constructed which shows how asymmetric policies give rise to this association. The empirical findings presented provide support to the proposition that variations in inflation uncertainty are policy-induced.