This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Nature, Power, and Growth

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Gylfason, Thorvaldur

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

This essay reviews the relationship between natural-resource abundance and economic growth around the world, and presents some new results. The principal reasons why resource-based production can inhibit economic growth over long periods are traced to the Dutch disease, neglect of education, rent seeking, and economic policy failures. Across a large number of countries in the period from 1965 to 1998, the share of the primary sector in the labour force is shown to be inversely related to exports, domestic and foreign investment, and education, and directly related to external debt, import protection, corruption, and income inequality. The cross-sectional data show, moreover, that the share of the primary sector in the labour force is inversely related to per capita growth across countries. None of this lies in the nature of things, however. What seems to matter for economic growth is not the abundance of natural resources per se, but rather the quality of their management, and of economic management and institutions in general. Copyright 2001 by Scottish Economic Society.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/servlet/useragent?func=synergy&synergyAction=showTOC&journalCode=sjpe&volume=48&issue=5&year=2001&part=null
File Format: text/html
File Function: link to full text
Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.

Publisher Info
Article provided by Scottish Economic Society in its journal Scottish Journal of Political Economy.

Volume (Year): 48 (2001)
Issue (Month): 5 (November)
Pages: 558-88
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:bla:scotjp:v:48:y:2001:i:5:p:558-88

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0036-9292

Order Information:
Web: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/subs.asp?ref=0036-9292

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Christopher F. Baum).

Related research
Keywords:

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. repec:cup:macdyn:v:3:y:1999:i:2:p:204-25 is not listed on IDEAS
  2. Gylfason, Thorvaldur & Herbertsson, Tryggvi Thor, 1996. "Does Inflation Matter for Growth?," CEPR Discussion Papers 1503, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Mauro, Paolo, 1995. "Corruption and Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 110(3), pages 681-712, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Paldam, Martin, 1997. "Dutch disease and rent seeking: The Greenland model," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 591-614, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Gylfason, Thorvaldur & Herbertsson, Tryggvi Thor & Zoega, Gylfi, 1997. "A Mixed Blessing: Natural Resources and Economic Growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 1668, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Jonathan Temple, 1999. "The New Growth Evidence," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 112-156, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Schuknecht, Ludger, 1999. "Tying Governments' Hands in Commodity Taxation," Journal of African Economies, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(2), pages 152-81, July.
  8. Easterly, William & Levine, Ross, 1997. "Africa's Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic Divisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 112(4), pages 1203-50, November.
    Other versions:
  9. Gylfason, Thorvaldur & Zoega, Gylfi, 2001. "Natural Resources and Economic Growth: The Role of Investment," CEPR Discussion Papers 2743, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. Aaron Tornell & Philip R. Lane, 1999. "The Voracity Effect," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(1), pages 22-46, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Tornell, Aaron & Lane, Philip R., 1998. "Are windfalls a curse?: A non-representative agent model of the current account," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 83-112, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Alberto Alesina & Dani Rodrik, 1991. "Distributive Politics and Economic Growth," NBER Working Papers 3668, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Matsuyama, Kiminori, 1992. "Agricultural productivity, comparative advantage, and economic growth," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 317-334, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  14. Auty, Richard M., 1994. "Industrial policy reform in six large newly industrializing countries: The resource curse thesis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 11-26, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Herbertsson, Tryggvi Thor & Skuladottir, Marta & Zoega, Gylfi, 2000. "Three Symptoms And A Cure: A Contribution To The Economics Of The Dutch Disease," CEPR Discussion Papers 2364, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Jeffrey D. Sachs, 1989. "Social Conflict and Populist Policies in Latin America," NBER Working Papers 2897, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Corden, W M, 1984. "Booming Sector and Dutch Disease Economics: Survey and Consolidation," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 36(3), pages 359-80, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Richard R. Nelson & Edmond S. Phelps, 1965. "Investment in Humans, Technological Diffusion and Economic Growth," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 189, Cowles Foundation, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
  19. Jonathan Temple & Paul A. Johnson, 1998. "Social Capability And Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 113(3), pages 965-990, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Rodriguez, Francisco & Sachs, Jeffrey D, 1999. " Why Do Resource-Abundant Economies Grow More Slowly?," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 277-303, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Bhagwati, Jagdish N, 1982. "Directly Unproductive, Profit-seeking (DUP) Activities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(5), pages 988-1002, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  22. Gylfason, Thorvaldur, 2001. "Natural resources, education, and economic development," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-6), pages 847-859, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  23. Krueger, Anne O, 1974. "The Political Economy of the Rent-Seeking Society," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 64(3), pages 291-303, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  24. Gylfason, Thorvaldur, 2001. "Nature, Power, and Growth," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 48(5), pages 558-88, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  25. Robert E. Hall & Charles I. Jones, 1996. "The Productivity of Nations," NBER Working Papers 5812, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  26. Paldam, Martin & Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard, 2000. "An essay on social capital: looking for the fire behind the smoke," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 339-366, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  27. Easterly, William & Fischer, Stanley, 1995. "The Soviet Economic Decline," World Bank Economic Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 341-71, September.
  28. Mauro, Paolo, 1998. "Corruption and the composition of government expenditure," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 263-279, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Thorvaldur Gylfason, 2001. "Nature, Power, and Growth," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Erling Røed Larsen, 2004. "Escaping the Resource Curse and the Dutch Disease? When and Why Norway Caught up with and Forged ahead of Its Neighbors," Discussion Papers 377, Research Department of Statistics Norway. [Downloadable!]
  3. Betty Agnani & Amaia Iza, 2005. "Growth in an oil abundant economy: The case of Venezuela," DFAEII Working Papers 200515, University of the Basque Country - Department of Foundations of Economic Analysis II. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. You, Jong-Sung & Khagram, Sanjeev, 2004. "Inequality and Corruption," Working Paper Series rwp04-001, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]
  5. Matteo Cervellati & Piergiuseppe Fortunato, 2004. "Natural resources and the wealth of nations in a globalized world economy," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques v04068, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1). [Downloadable!]
  6. Elissaios Papyrakis, 2007. "A Development Curse: Formal vs. Informal Activities in Resource-Dependent Economies," DEGIT Conference Papers c012_027, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade. [Downloadable!]
  7. Gylfason, Thorvaldur, 2000. "Resources, Agriculture, and Economic Growth in Economies in Transition," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Elliot, Vaughn & Hartarska, Valentina & Bailey, Conner, 2008. "Stunted Growth: Natural Resource Concentration, Economic Growth, and Dutch Disease in the Southeastern United States," 2008 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2008, Dallas, Texas 6494, Southern Agricultural Economics Association. [Downloadable!]
  9. Argentino Pessoa & Mário Rui Silva, 2009. "Environment Based Innovation: Policy Questions," FEP Working Papers 308, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto. [Downloadable!]
  10. José Ramón Ruiz Tamarit & Manuel Sánchez Moreno, 2006. "Optimal Regulation And Growth In A Natural-Resource-Based Economy," Working Papers. Serie AD 2006-21, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie). [Downloadable!]
  11. Pessoa, Argentino, 2008. "Natural resources and institutions: the “natural resources curse” revisited," MPRA Paper 8640, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  12. J. AZNAR-MARQUEZ & J.R. Ruiz-Tamarit, 2002. "Renewable Natural Resources and Endogenous Growth," Discussion Papers (IRES - Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales) 2002029, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Elissaios Papyrakis & Reyer Gerlagh, 2005. "Natural Resources, Innovation, and Growth," DEGIT Conference Papers c010_054, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade. [Downloadable!]
  14. Elissaios Papyrakis, 2004. "Natural Resources, Innovation, and Growth," Working Papers 2004.129, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? There is a FAQ (frequently asked questions).

This page was last updated on 2009-11-22.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.