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Spain's International Position, 1850-1913

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  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro

Abstract

Spain's financial position during the late 19th and early 20th century has usually been presented as one of persistent deficit on current account, which resulted from her integration into international commodity and factor markets and this, in turn, slowed down growth. In this essay a preliminary reconstruction of the balance of payments on current account allows us to reject this view. In fact, a net capital inflow made possible to meet the demand for investment boosting economic performance. Current account reversals in a context of macroeconomic domestic imperfections help to explain the economic slowdown at the turn of the century.

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  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro, 2009. "Spain's International Position, 1850-1913," CEPR Discussion Papers 7591, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7591
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    Cited by:

    1. Bajo-Rubio, Oscar, 2012. "The balance-of-payments constraint on economic growth in a long-term perspective: Spain, 1850–2000," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 105-117.
    2. Pablo Martín-Aceña & Pilar Nogues-Marco, 2012. "Crisis bancarias en la historia de España. Del Antiguo Régimen a los orígenes del capitalismo moderno," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1201, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    3. Concha Betrán & Pablo Martín-Aceña & María Angeles Pons, 2011. "Financial Crises In Spain: Lessons From The Last 150 Years," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1106, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Balance of payments; Sudden stops; Current account reversals; Saving; investment; Growth; Spain;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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