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On Globalization and the Growth of Governments

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Author Info
Epifani, Paolo
Gancia, Gino A.

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Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between trade openness and the size of governments, both theoretically and empirically. We argue that openness can increase the size of governments through two channels: (1) a terms of trade externality, whereby trade lowers the domestic cost of taxation, and (2) the demand for insurance, whereby trade raises risk and public transfers. We provide a unified framework for studying and testing these two mechanisms. Our main theoretical prediction is that the relative strength of the two explanations depends on a key parameter, namely, the elasticity of substitution between domestic and foreign goods. Moreover, while the first mechanism is inefficient from the standpoint of world welfare, the second is instead optimal. In the empirical part of the paper, we provide new evidence on the positive association between openness and government size and we explore its determinants. Consistently with the terms of trade externality channel, we show that the correlation is contingent on a low elasticity of substitution between domestic and foreign goods. Our findings raise warnings that globalization may have led to inefficiently large governments.

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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 6065.

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Date of creation: Jan 2007
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Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6065

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Related research
Keywords: elasticity of substitution between imports and exports; government size; openness; terms of trade externality;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F1 - International Economics - - Trade
H1 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government

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References listed on IDEAS
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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. Alessandra Bonfiglioli & Gino Gancia, 2007. "North-South Trade and Directed Technical Change," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 713.07, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC), revised 27 Jun 2008. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Rubén Segura-Cayuela, 2006. "Inefficient policies, inefficient institutions and trade," Banco de España Working Papers 0633, Banco de España. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Alejandro Cuñat & Szabolcs Deák & Marco Maffezzoli, 2008. "Tax Cuts in Open Economies," Working Papers 332, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Paolo Epifani & Gino Gancia, 2008. "Openness, Government Size and the Terms of Trade," IEW - Working Papers iewwp359, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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