Pandemic effects in the Solow growth model

We show how diseases can affect economic growth in a Solow growth model, with population growth and no technical progress, but modified to include a saving rate that depends on the individual health status. We successively insert this model into the SIS (susceptible–infected–susceptible) and SIR (susceptible–infected–recovered) models of disease spreading. In these two models, the spread of the infection proceeds according to the so-called basic reproductive number. This number determines in which of the two possible equilibria, the disease-free or the pandemic equilibrium, the economy ends. We show that output per capita is always lower in the pandemic steady state, which implies a contraction in the economy's production possibilities frontier.     

Co-Creation Experiences: Attention and Memorability

This study examines the on-site co-creation experience from a tourist perspective. A review of the literature and in-depth interviews with tourists who participated in a ‘swimming with dolphins’ experience are used to explore the importance of co-creation in enhancing attention and the memorability of the experience. Findings suggest that the co-creation experience influences memorability by focusing the tourist’s attention. This study contributes to the conceptualization of co-creation in the field of tourism by substantiating the usefulness of a psychologically based approach to experience design.     

Agglomeration and labour productivity in Spain over the long term

This paper analyses the relationship between spatial density of economic activity and interregional differences in the productivity of industrial labour in Spain during the period 1860–1999. In the spirit of Ciccone and Hall (Am Econ Rev 86:54–70, 1996) and Ciccone (Eur Econ Rev 46:213–227, 2002), we analyse the evolution of this relationship over the long term in Spain. Using data on the period 1860–1999 we show the existence of an agglomeration effect linking the density of economic activity with labour productivity in the industry. This effect was present since the beginning of the industrialisation process in the middle of the nineteenth century but has been decreasing over time. Our results show that doubling employment density raises average labour productivity in the industrial sector by between 3 and 5% in all periods analysed, with the exception of the last segment from the twentieth century. Hence, we find significant evidence of agglomeration effects. However, these effects seem to have been falling sharply from the mid-nineteenth century until late in the twentieth century, and there appears to be no positive evidence of agglomeration effects in industry in the period 1985–1999. This result could be explained by an important increase in the congestion effects in large industrial metropolitan areas that would have compensated the centripetal or agglomeration forces at work. Furthermore, this result is also consistent with the evidence of a dispersion of industrial activity in Spain during the last decades.

---

Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fiscal Transparency,Fiscal Performance and Credit Ratings

Fiscal transparency can provide policymakers with incentives to adopt better policies by enhancing the public debate on the design and sustainability of fiscal policy and establishing accountability for their implementation. Fiscal transparency can also reduce uncertainty about fiscal policy and fiscal outturns by providing more information on the underlying fiscal position and fiscal risks. Both effects suggest that countries should benefit from adopting transparency enhancing policies through better market assessments of their sovereign risk. In this paper, we investigate whether fiscal transparency has an effect on market perceptions of sovereign risk, as measured by sovereign credit ratings, and if so, through which channels. We find that fiscal transparency has a positive and significant effect on ratings – one standard deviation increase in fiscal transparency increases credit ratings by 0.7 and 1 notches (or steps in the credit rating scale) in advanced and developing economies, respectively – but its effect works through different channels in advanced and developing economies. In advanced economies, fiscal transparency is associated with better fiscal outcomes, leading indirectly to higher credit ratings. In developing economies, the direct uncertainty‐reducing effect of fiscal transparency seems to be more important. Indeed, the effect of fiscal transparency on fiscal performance is found to increase with the level of institutional development.     

Distortions,factor proportions and efficiency losses: Argentina in the latin american scenario

Zusammenfassung Verzerrungen, Faktorproportionen und Effizienzverluste: Argentinien im lateinamerikanischen Szenario. - Dieser Aufsatz verfolgt einen doppelten Zweck. Erstens werden Faktormarktverzerrungen quantitativ gesch?tzt und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Besch?ftigung mit einer Simulation ermittelt, wobei eine einfache Verhaltensgleichung des partiellen Gleichgewichts benutzt wird. Zweitens wird eine aggregierte Sch?tzung des Effizienzverlustes vorgelegt, der auf Verzerrungen auf den Faktor- und Güterm?rkten zurückgeführt werden kann. Die Analyse bezieht sich auf den gewerblichen Sektor Argentiniens. Anschlie\end werden die Sch?tzungen mit ?hnlichen Sch?tzungen für andere lateinamerikanische Staaten verglichen. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, da\ von der Wirtschaftspolitik hervorgerufene Verzerrungen in signifikantem Ausma\ die Besch?ftigungsm?glichkeiten verringert und au\erdem zu beunruhigend hohen Effizienzverlusten geführt haben.

---

Résumé Distorsions, proportions de facteur et pertes d’efficacité: L’Argentine en scénario latinoamericain. - Le but de cet article est de deux sortes. D’abord, l’auteur présente des estimations quantitatives des distorsions au marché de facteur et il simule leurs effets sur l’emploi en applicant une simple équation de comportement de l’équilibre partiel. Puis, l’auteur donne une estimation agrégée de la dimension de la perte d’efficacité qu’on peut attribuer aux distorsions aux marchés de bien et de facteur. L’analyse est faite pour le secteur manufacturier argentin, et les estimations sont comparées avec des similaires analyses faites pour d’ autres pays latinoamericains. Les résultats suggèrent que les distorsions induites par la politique ont réduit des possibilités d’emploi d’une manière significative et de même causé des pertes d’efficacité aux dimensions alarmantes.

---

Resumen Distorsiones, proportión de factures y pérdida de eficiencia: Argentina en el contexte latinoamericano. - El objetivo de este trabajo es doble. Primero se presentan estimaciónes cuantitativas de distorsiones en los mercados de factures y se simula su impacto sobre el empleo, utilizando una simple ecuaci?n de comportamiento de equilibrio parcial. En segundo lugar se provee una estimation agregada de la magnitud de la pérdida de eficiencia atribuída a distorsiones en el mercado de factores y en el de bienes. El analisis comprende el sector manufacturera argentino; las estimaciónes son comparadas con estimaci?nes similares para otros pafses latinoamericanos. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que las distorsiones inducidas por la politica econ?mica redujeron las oportunidades de empleo de manera significativa, y que también dieron lugar a pérdidas de eficiencia alarmantes.

     

Sunspot cycles

Summary. This paper shows new properties about the equilibria of a stationary OG economy by establishing a connection between its stationary equilibria and those of a finite economy, with and without extrinsic uncertainty. Specifically, it shows the countability and local uniqueness with respect to the sup metric of the so-called sunspot cycles introduced here, that encompass both the deterministic cycles and the usual finite Markovian stationary sunspot equilibria. These sunspot cycles are, moreover, able to generate, at a lower cost in terms of assumptions than other sunspot equilibria, time series with the recurrent but irregular fluctuations typical of economic time series. Received: July 26, 2001; revised version: March 5, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" I want to thank an anonymous referee for comments that have helped greatly to improve this paper, as well as the comments about its contents received from several audiences in different seminars and conferences (the Economic Theory seminar of the University of Pennsylvania, the 2001 Meeting of the Econometric Society held at New Orleans, the 2000 Econometric Society World Congress, the 2000 Society for Economic Design Conference) and from comments to a previous paper, Dávila [10], specially from Jim Peck at the 1997 Workshop on General Equilibrium held at the University of Venice, that eventually lead to this one.     

Internet use and consumption diversity: Evidence from rural China

The Internet is integral to modern living. While the Internet is ubiquitous in China's urban areas, its uptake is still lagging in the country's rural regions—the development potential of the Internet remains untapped, and despite China's steep economic growth during the 21st century, the living standards in its rural regions remain low. The Internet can accelerate rural development in China. This study is focused on analyzing whether and to what extent Internet use affects consumption diversity, an indicator of the quality of life, in rural China. To this end, we employ the instrumental-variable-based two-stage endogenous treatment regression model to analyze the 2018 China Family Panel Studies survey data. The modeling approach allows us to account for the endogeneity of Internet use. The results show that consumption diversity is positively associated with Internet use. Furthermore, it rises with household income, household size, and wealth. Whether the Internet is accessed via smartphones or computers has no bearing on household consumption diversity. We also find that education, household income, and wealth increase one's predicted probability of using the Internet. The results also point to regional differences in consumption diversity and the likelihood of using the Internet.     

IS MARKET‐ORIENTED REFORM PRODUCING A ‘TWO‐TRACK’ EUROPE? EVIDENCE FROM ELECTRICITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

ABSTRACT: The European Commission has formally recognized that adequate provision of basic household services, including energy, communications, water and transport, is key to ensuring equity, social cohesion and solidarity. Yet little research has been done on the impact of the reform of these services in this regard. This article offers an innovative way to explore such questions by analyzing and contrasting stated and revealed preferences on citizen satisfaction with and expenditure on two services, telecommunications and electricity, in two large countries, Spain and the UK. We find evidence that in telecommunications, but not in electricity, reform has led to a ‘two‐track’ Europe, where citizens who are elderly, not working or the less‐educated behave differently in the market, with the result that they are less satisfied with these services than their younger, working, better‐educated, counterparts.