Does the internet generate economic growth, international trade, or both?
Abstract
Recent cross country panel data studies find a positive impact of internet use on economic growth and a positive impact of internet use on trade. The present study challenges the first finding by showing that internet use does not explain economic growth directly in a fully specified growth model. In particular openness to international trade variables seems to be highly correlated with internet use and the findings in the literature that internet use causes trade is confirmed here, suggesting that internet use impacts trade and that trade impacts economic growth. A simultaneous equations model confirms the positive and significant role of internet use to openness and the importance of openness to economic growth. Internet use has been shown to impact trade more in non-high income countries than in high income countries, whereas the impact of trade on economic growth is the same for both income groups.Download Info
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Paper provided by United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology in its series UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series with number 050.Length:
Date of creation: 2012
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:dgr:unumer:2012050
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Web page: http://www.merit.unu.edu
Related research
Keywords: economic growth; internet; ICT; trade; panel data;Find related papers by JEL classification:
- C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Longitudinal Data; Spatial Time Series
- L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
- L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
- F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
- O40 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2012-09-30 (All new papers)
- NEP-FDG-2012-09-30 (Financial Development & Growth)
- NEP-ICT-2012-09-30 (Information & Communication Technologies)
- NEP-INT-2012-09-30 (International Trade)
References
References listed on IDEASPlease 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.:
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Thomas H.W. ZIESEMER, 2012.
"Worker remittances and government behaviour in the receiving countries,"
Eastern Journal of European Studies,
Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 3, pages 37-59, December.
- Ziesemer, Thomas, 2008. "Worker remittances and government behaviour in the receiving countries," UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series 029, United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology.
- Ziesemer, Thomas, 2012. "Worker remittances and government behaviour in the receiving countries," UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series 065, United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology.
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