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! ]

Growth and the Public Sector: A Critique of the Critics

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Fölster, Stefan (The Research Institute of Industrial Economics)
Henrekson, Magnus () (The Research Institute of Industrial Economics)

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

Abstract

In a recent review article Jonas Agell, Thomas Lindh and Henry Ohlsson (1997) claim that theoretical and empirical evidence does not allow any conclusion on whether there is a relationship between the rate of economic growth and the size of the public sector. They illustrate their conclusion with simple cross-country regressions where the relation between growth and public expenditure tilts from negative to positive when control variables are introduced. In our article we argue that Agell, Lindh and Ohlsson base their conclusion on empirical studies, and on their own regressions, without evaluating the econometric problems that arize. We extend Agell et al.'s review in order to highlight some of these problems. Furthermore, we present evidence showing that once a number of econometric issues are dealt with the relationship between growth and public expenditure may be more robustly negative than it first appears.

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 file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/iuiwop/papers/iuiwop0492.rev.pdf.zip
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no
File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/iuiwop/papers/iuiwop0492.rev.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no
File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/iuiwop/papers/iuiwop0492.rev.ps.zip
File Format: application/postscript
File Function:
Download Restriction: no
File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/iuiwop/papers/iuiwop0492.rev.ps
File Format: application/postscript
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Research Institute of Industrial Economics in its series Working Paper Series with number 492.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length: 23 pages
Date of creation: 01 Dec 1997
Date of revision: 10 Jun 1998
Publication status: Published in European Journal of Political Economy, 1999, pages 22.
Handle: RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:0492

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Box 55665, SE-102 15 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 665 4500
Fax: +46 8 665 4599
Email:
Web page: http://www.ifn.se/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Elisabeth Gustafsson).

Related research
Keywords: Economic growth Government expenditure Public sector Taxation Cross-country regressions.

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy
H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
O23 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development
O40 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-37, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Robert J. Barro & N. Gregory Mankiw & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1995. "Capital Mobility in Neoclassical Models of Growth," NBER Working Papers 4206, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Newey, Whitney K & West, Kenneth D, 1987. "A Simple, Positive Semi-definite, Heteroskedasticity and Autocorrelation Consistent Covariance Matrix," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(3), pages 703-08, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Feldstein, Martin, 1996. "The Missing Piece in Policy Analysis: Social Security Reform," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(2), pages 1-14, May.
    Other versions:
  5. Larry E. Jones & Rodolfo E. Manuelli & Peter E. Rossi, 1993. "On the Optimal Taxation of Capital Income," NBER Working Papers 4525, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Holmes, James M & Hutton, Patricia A, 1990. "On the Causal Relationship between Government Expenditures and National Income," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 72(1), pages 87-95, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Aschauer, David Alan, 1989. "Is public expenditure productive?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 177-200, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Martin Feldstein & Charles Horioka, 1980. "Domestic Savings and International Capital Flows," NBER Working Papers 0310, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Glenn R. Hubbard & Jonathan Skinner & Stephen P. Zeldes, . "Precautionary Saving and Social Insurance," Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research Working Papers 3-95, Wharton School Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research.
    Other versions:
  10. de la Fuente, Angel, 1997. "Fiscal Policy and Growth in the OECD," CEPR Discussion Papers 1755, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Robert J. Barro, 1996. "Determinants of Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Empirical Study," NBER Working Papers 5698, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Agell, Jonas & Lindh, Thomas & Ohlsson, Henry, 1997. "Growth and the public sector: A critical review essay," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 33-52, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Lindh, Thomas & Ohlsson, Henry, 1998. "Self-Employment and Wealth Inequality," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(1), pages 25-42, March.
  14. Rao, V V Bhanoji, 1989. "Government Size and Economic Growth: A New Framework and Some Evidence from Cross-Section and Time-Series Data: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(1), pages 272-80, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Robert J. Barro, 1989. "A Cross-Country Study of Growth, Saving, and Government," NBER Working Papers 2855, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Lin, Steven A Y, 1994. "Government Spending and Economic Growth," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 83-94, January.
  17. Feldstein, Martin S, 1974. "Social Security, Induced Retirement, and Aggregate Capital Accumulation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(5), pages 905-26, Sept./Oct. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," NBER Working Papers 3120, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  19. Barro, Robert J, 1990. "Government Spending in a Simple Model of Endogenous Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages S103-26, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  20. Jones, Larry E & Manuelli, Rodolfo E & Rossi, Peter E, 1993. "Optimal Taxation in Models of Endogenous Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(3), pages 485-517, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Mankiw, N Gregory & Romer, David & Weil, David N, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 107(2), pages 407-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  22. Carr, Jack L, 1989. "Government Size and Economic Growth: A New Framework and Some Evidence from Cross-Section and Time-Series Data: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(1), pages 267-71, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. Barro, Robert J, 1974. "Are Government Bonds Net Wealth?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(6), pages 1095-1117, Nov.-Dec.. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  24. Nitzan, Shmuel, 1994. "Modelling rent-seeking contests," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 41-60, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  25. Eric M. Engen & Jonathan Gruber, 1995. "Unemployment Insurance and Precautionary Saving," NBER Working Papers 5252, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  26. Mendoza, Enrique G. & Milesi-Ferretti, Gian Maria & Asea, Patrick, 1997. "On the ineffectiveness of tax policy in altering long-run growth: Harberger's superneutrality conjecture," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 99-126, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  27. Charles I. Plosser, 1992. "The search for growth," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 57-92.
  28. Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1997. "I Just Ran Two Million Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(2), pages 178-83, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  29. Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1994. "Cross-sectional regressions and the empirics of economic growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 739-747, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  30. Levine, Ross & Renelt, David, 1992. "A Sensitivity Analysis of Cross-Country Growth Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(4), pages 942-63, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  31. Martin Feldstein, 1995. "Social Security and Saving: New Time Series Evidence," NBER Working Papers 5054, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  32. Saint-Paul, Gilles, 1992. "Fiscal Policy in an Endogenous Growth Model," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 107(4), pages 1243-59, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  33. Conte, Michael A & Darrat, Ali F, 1988. "Economic Growth and the Expanding Public Sector: A Reexamination," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 70(2), pages 322-30, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  34. Robert E. Lucas, Jr., 1989. "On the Mechanics of Economic Development," NBER Reprints 1176, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Other versions:
  35. Lucas, Robert E, Jr, 1990. "Supply-Side Economics: An Analytical Review," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(2), pages 293-316, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  36. King, Robert G & Rebelo, Sergio, 1990. "Public Policy and Economic Growth: Developing Neoclassical Implications," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages S126-50, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  37. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages S71-102, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  38. Hansson, Par & Henrekson, Magnus, 1994. " A New Framework for Testing the Effect of Government Spending on Growth and Productivity," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 81(3-4), pages 381-401, December.
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. Pavlos Petroulas, 2007. "Short -Term Capital Flows and Growth in Developed and Emerging Markets," Working Papers 60, Bank of Greece. [Downloadable!]
  2. Julian Ramajo & Miguel Márquez & Francisco Pedraja & Javier Salinas, 2007. "Competition in the allocation of public spending: a new model to analyse the interaction between expenditure categories," Economics Bulletin, Economics Bulletin, vol. 8(4), pages 1-7. [Downloadable!]
  3. Bergh, Andreas, 2006. "Explaining Welfare State Survival: The Role of Economic Freedom and Globalization," Ratio Working Papers 101, The Ratio Institute. [Downloadable!]
  4. Fölster, Stefan & Henrekson, Magnus, 2000. "Growth Effects of Government Expenditure and Taxation in Rich Countries," Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 391, Stockholm School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Dr. (elect.) Julia Korosteleva & Dr. Colin Lawson, . "The Belarusian Case of Transition: Whither Financial Repression?," Working Papers 2006_4, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow. [Downloadable!]
  6. F. Calidoni, 2005. "The effects of public transfers on productivity," Economics Department Working Papers 2005-EP01, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Rosa Capolupo, 2005. "THE NEW GROWTH THEORIES AND THEIR EMPIRICS, Discussion Paper in Economics, University of Glasgow, N. 2005-04 (http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/Economics," GE, Growth, Math methods 0506003, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  8. Arief Ramayandi, 2003. "Economic Growth And Government Size In Indonesia: Some Lessons For The Local Authorities," Working Papers in Economics and Development Studies (WoPEDS) 200302, Department of Economics, Padjadjaran University, revised Jul 2003. [Downloadable!]
  9. Felicity C Barker & Robert A Buckle & Robert W St Clair, 2008. "Roles of Fiscal Policy in New Zealand," Treasury Working Paper Series 08/02, New Zealand Treasury. [Downloadable!]
  10. Norman Gemmell & Richard Kneller, 2003. "Fiscal Policy, Growth and Convergence in Europe," Treasury Working Paper Series 03/14, New Zealand Treasury. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Thomas E. Borcherding & J. Stephen Ferris & Andrea Garzoni, 2001. "Growth in the Real Size of Government since 1970," Claremont Colleges Working Papers 2001-30, Claremont Colleges. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Diego Martínez López, 2003. "An Exploration into the Effects of Fiscal Variables on Regional Growth," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2003/46, Centro de Estudios Andaluces. [Downloadable!]
  13. Kalle Kukk, 2007. "Fiscal Policy Effects on Economic Growth: Short Run vs Long Run," Working Papers 167, School of Economics and Business Administration, Tallinn University of Technology. [Downloadable!]
  14. Christoph A. Schaltegger & Benno Torgler, 2006. "Growth effects of public expenditure on the state and local level: evidence from a sample of rich governments," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 38(10), pages 1181-1192, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  15. Rosa Capolupo, . "The New Growth Theoris and their Empirics," Working Papers 2005_4, Department of Economics, University of Glasgow. [Downloadable!]
  16. Andreas Bergh, 2006. "Is the Swedish Welfare State A Free Lunch?," Econ Journal Watch, Atlas Economic Research Foundation, vol. 3(2), pages 210-235, May. [Downloadable!]
  17. Gareth Myles, 2000. "Taxation and economic growth," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 21(1), pages 141-168, March. [Downloadable!]
  18. Agell, Jonas & Ohlsson, Henry & Skogman Thoursie, Peter, 2003. "Growth Effects of Government Expenditure and Taxation in Rich Countries: A Comment," Research Papers in Economics 2003:14, Stockholm University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? A tutorial is available.

This page was last updated on 2008-8-19.

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.