{"title":"Institutional Bottlenecks: What Can Be Done?","authors":"Christopher J. Coyne, A. Hall","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2188065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2188065","url":null,"abstract":"Institutional bottlenecks refer to path-dependent institutional arrangements which contribute to economic stagnation. In his research, Timur Kuran identifies several historical institutional bottlenecks which contributed to economic decline and underdevelopment of the Middle East. We use Kuran’s research as springboard to ask: what can be done about institutional bottlenecks? To answer this question we draw on the work of F.A. Hayek who emphasized the centrality of institutions for social order and the limits on human reason in constructing a preferable state of affairs. We conclude that focus must be on the meta-rules through which the process of institutional evolution takes place. While we cannot know the specific outcomes of this evolutionary process ex ante, we can establish constraints to guide it. Reforms, therefore, should be focused on removing barriers to discovery instead of on selecting specific predefined end states.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"223 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122630216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Japan’s Post-Triple-Disaster Growth Strategy","authors":"M. Kawai, Peter J. Morgan","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2134585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2134585","url":null,"abstract":"The repercussions of the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 spread far beyond the geographical areas directly affected. The disaster also highlighted Japan’s many other structural challenges besides reconstruction needs, including persistently low growth, population aging and low fertility, burgeoning government debt, declining international competitiveness, and uncertain energy supplies. Moreover, the global financial crisis and the ongoing euro area financial crisis suggest that Japan needs to create its own growth momentum without relying excessively on markets in the United States (US) and Europe. This paper discusses the scope of these challenges and sets out a long-term strategy for overcoming them and putting the Japanese economy on a stable growth path.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114022829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Modernization and the Russian Economy: Three Hundred Years of Catching Up","authors":"V. Mau, T. Drobyshevskaya","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2135459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2135459","url":null,"abstract":"The backwardness of Russia when compared to the countries of Western Europe was apparent at turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, when, it is generally considered, Russian economic growth began. From that time on, overcoming this backwardness, reducing the gap between Russia and the more developed countries of Europe and the rest of the world, became the principal goal of Russian economic development and the principal task of Russian governments. This task, which may be described as that of “modernization in order to catch up”, was first articulated by Peter the Great (1683-1725) whose celebrated economic and technological changes were achieved thanks to a policy of borrowing from the West.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"150 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131117129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Projection of Long-Term Total Factor Productivity Growth for 12 Asian Economies","authors":"Jungsoo Park","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.1721922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1721922","url":null,"abstract":"This study reviews and analyzes the changes in total factor productivity (TFP) growth in 12 Asian economies – the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Pakistan; the Philippines; Singapore; Taipei, China; Thailand; and Viet Nam – for the period 1970-2007. By performing an empirical analysis using a comprehensive international data set, the paper investigates the main factors influencing TFP growth based on a modified version of the 2003 empirical growth model of Bosworth and Collins. Special emphasis is placed on intangible factors such as human capital, and research and development capital, in defining the TFP dynamics. The resulting benchmark models from these empirical analyses are used to produce the long-term projection of TFP growth for the Asian economies for the period 2010 through 2030.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126675152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"China’s Increasing Policy Shift Towards More Sustainable Growth","authors":"Dan Prud’homme","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.1838808","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1838808","url":null,"abstract":"Many have increasingly questioned if and how Chinese policy has evolved or will evolve to ensure that the country’s development is not only focused on immediate economic growth, but also economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. This paper addresses this question by tracing key issues in China’s past and current path to development. It finds that China is clearly increasingly shifting its policies to foster more sustainable growth, which provides a good indication that its upcoming policies will head in the same positive direction.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134137124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Turning Potential Growth Disasters into Growth Miracles: The Bare Essentials of Conditional Convergence","authors":"E. Pikoulakis","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.1532967","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1532967","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper I simplify the modeling of transitional dynamics and empirically explain why so many developing economies have seen their per capita income diverge from that of most OECD economies. I also provide evidence that strongly supports conditional convergence among the sample considered consisting of 40 non-OECD plus 24 OECD economies. Diverging per capita incomes and conditional convergence are, thus, not inconsistent with each other. Introducing installation costs into the analysis unlocks the key role of the price of capital in growth and development. My findings are consistent with a model of imperfect competition where optimizing agents save a constant fraction of their incomes.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"11 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114133313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Do Institutions Matter? Estimating the Effect of Institutions on Economic Performance in China","authors":"Ying Fang","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.1430330","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1430330","url":null,"abstract":"This paper estimates the effect of institutions on economic performance using cross-city data from China. We argue that China's ongoing reforms are part of a long and circuitous historical transition from antiquity to modernity, which started about 150 years ago. Learning from Western countries has been a central aspect of this historical process. The West had a laThis paper estimates the effect of institutions on economic performance using cross-city data from China. We argue that China's ongoing reforms are part of a long and circuitous historical transition from antiquity to modernity, which started about 150 years ago. Learning from Western countries has been a central aspect of this historical process. The West had a large influence on the early stage of this transition, which has persisted to current reforms. This study uses the enrollment in Christian missionary lower primary schools in China in 1919 as an instrument for present institutions. Employing a two-stage least squares method, we find that the effect of institutions on economic performance in China is positive and significant. The results are robust according to various tests including additional controls, such as geographic factors and government policy-related variables.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"100 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114585747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Changing Educational Distribution and its Impact on the Evolution of Wages In Thailand, 1987-2006","authors":"Dilaka Lathapipat","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.1484649","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1484649","url":null,"abstract":"This paper uses data from Thailand’s Labour Force Surveys (LFS) from 1987 to 2006 to analyse the impact of the changing educational composition, as well as the changing returns to different education levels on male wage distribution. The Firpo, Fortin, and Lemieux decomposition method is employed in the study to untangle the components of dynamic wage structure and composition effects. Contrary to widely held beliefs, the study finds the observed increase in education to be a major factor enhancing wage inequality in the top end of the wage distribution. The study also reveals deteriorating returns to secondary education, and the recent surge in returns to higher education to exert the greatest influence on the observed evolution of wages.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2008-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123200990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diaspora's Contribution to Armenia's Economic Development: What Drives the First Movers and How Their Efforts Could Be Scaled Up?","authors":"Victoria Minoian, L. Freinkman","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2401741","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2401741","url":null,"abstract":"The large Armenian Diaspora, widely dispersed throughout the 5 continents, had successfully preserved the nation's independence aspirations across generations born far from the homeland. This nationalistic tradition along with a strong sense of Pan-Armenian solidarity helped to mobilize an unprecedented amount of Diaspora support to the newly constituted state. Over more than a decade, the Armenian Diaspora excelled in generating international political support for Armenia, in the development, funding, and implementation of humanitarian aid programs, as well as in mobilizing private transfers to the Armenian population. There has been a broad consensus that the Diaspora is an invaluable and fundamental resource for the economic, social and political development of Armenia. At the same time, it is accepted that there is a considerable gap between the massive humanitarian contribution of the Diaspora and its much more modest participation in Armenia's economic life (Freinkman 2001, Samuelian et al. 2003, Manasaryan 2004). In short, the Diaspora's contribution to Armenia's long-term development agenda is considered to be much below its potential. This includes the low level of Diaspora investments and business participation, as well as the limited role of the Diaspora's organizations in the ongoing debate on Armenian development policies.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127062536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Great Transformation of Central Eastern Europe","authors":"J. Kornai","doi":"10.1111/j.1468-0351.2006.00252.x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0351.2006.00252.x","url":null,"abstract":"The study examines the changes of the Central Eastern European region first in the context of world history. It confirms by comparative historical analyses that the transformation was indeed unique. This has been the only total transformation that took place peacefully, without violence, and at the same time astonishingly fast, in the main direction of the economic and the political changes of Western civilization. From that perspective it is an exceptional success story. However, from the perspective of everyday life, the result is different. Deep economic troubles are experienced by a considerable portion of the population. The perception of losses is intensified by various cognitive problems. Based on the experience of today's generation, evaluating the change as an unequivocal success would be unwarranted. Both approaches are justified: it would be wrong to blend the two and to weigh them by the same scale. Copyright (c) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2006.","PeriodicalId":144069,"journal":{"name":"ERN: Institutional Change & Economic Growth (Topic)","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121511994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}