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Public economics gone wild: Lessons from venture capital

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  • Cumming, Douglas

Abstract

A recent article in the Journal of Public Economics has asserted, among other things, that government venture capital funds in Europe have crowded out private venture capital. I explain that the findings in that paper are based on empirical measures that are completely flawed. Moreover, I show with data spanning 13 countries and the years 1989–2011 that government venture capital funds in Europe have not crowded out private venture capital investment. Finally, I draw implications for studying venture capital and public policy for other countries such as India and China.

Suggested Citation

  • Cumming, Douglas, 2014. "Public economics gone wild: Lessons from venture capital," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 251-260.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:36:y:2014:i:c:p:251-260
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2013.10.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cumming, Douglas J. & MacIntosh, Jeffrey G., 2006. "Crowding out private equity: Canadian evidence," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 569-609, September.
    2. Keuschnigg, Christian & Nielsen, Soren Bo, 2003. "Tax policy, venture capital, and entrepreneurship," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 175-203, January.
    3. Keuschnigg, Christian & Nielsen, Soren Bo, 2004. "Start-ups, venture capitalists, and the capital gains tax," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(5), pages 1011-1042, April.
    4. Gompers, Paul & Kovner, Anna & Lerner, Josh & Scharfstein, David, 2008. "Venture capital investment cycles: The impact of public markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Vesa Kanniainen & Christian Keuschnigg (ed.), 2004. "Venture Capital, Entrepreneurship, and Public Policy," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262112876, April.
    6. Christian Keuschnigg & Soren Nielsen, 2001. "Public Policy for Venture Capital," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 8(4), pages 557-572, August.
    7. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2013_030 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Cumming, Douglas J. & Johan, Sofia A., 2013. "Venture Capital and Private Equity Contracting," Elsevier Monographs, Elsevier, edition 2, number 9780124095373.
    9. James M. Poterba, 1989. "Venture Capital and Capital Gains Taxation," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 3, pages 47-68, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Wang, Lanfang & Wang, Susheng, 2012. "Economic freedom and cross-border venture capital performance," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 26-50.
    11. Christian Keuschnigg & Soren Bo Nielsen, 2003. "Taxes and Venture Capital Support," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 7(3), pages 515-539.
    12. Nahata, Rajarishi, 2008. "Venture capital reputation and investment performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 127-151, November.
    13. Cumming, Douglas & Li, Dan, 2013. "Public policy, entrepreneurship, and venture capital in the United States," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 345-367.
    14. Douglas Cumming & Grant Fleming & Armin Schwienbacher, 2005. "Liquidity Risk and Venture Capital Finance," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 34(4), Winter.
    15. Christian Keuschnigg, 2004. "Venture Capital Backed Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 239-261, June.
    16. Xun Li & Hwee Huat Tan & Craig Wilson & Zhenyu Wu, 2013. "When should venture capitalists exit their investee companies?," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(4), pages 351-364, September.
    17. Alexander Groh & Heinrich Von Liechtenstein & Karsten Lieser, 2010. "The European Venture Capital and Private Equity country attractiveness indices," Post-Print hal-02312815, HAL.
    18. Xun Li & Zhenyu Wu, 2008. "Reputation entrenchment or risk minimization?: Early stop and investor-manager agency conflict in fund management," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 9(2), pages 125-150, February.
    19. Black, Bernard S. & Gilson, Ronald J., 1998. "Venture capital and the structure of capital markets: banks versus stock markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 243-277, March.
    20. Christian Keuschnigg & Søren Bo Nielsen, 2004. "Progressive Taxation, Moral Hazard, and Entrepreneurship," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 6(3), pages 471-490, August.
    21. Da Rin, Marco & Nicodano, Giovanna & Sembenelli, Alessandro, 2006. "Public policy and the creation of active venture capital markets," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(8-9), pages 1699-1723, September.
    22. Jeng, Leslie A. & Wells, Philippe C., 2000. "The determinants of venture capital funding: evidence across countries," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 241-289, September.
    23. Alexander Groh & Heinrich Von Liechtenstein, 2011. "The first step of the capital flow from institutions to entrepreneurs : the criteria for sorting venture capital funds," Post-Print hal-02312606, HAL.
    24. Douglas J. Cumming & Jeffrey G. MacIntosh, 2007. "Mutual funds that invest in private equity? An analysis of labour-sponsored investment funds," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 31(3), pages 445-487, May.
    25. Cumming, Douglas, 2007. "Government policy towards entrepreneurial finance: Innovation investment funds," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 193-235, March.
    26. Douglas Cumming & Grant Fleming & Armin Schwienbacher, 2009. "Style Drift in Private Equity," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5‐6), pages 645-678, June.
    27. Cumming, Douglas & Johan, Sofia, 2007. "Regulatory harmonization and the development of private equity markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(10), pages 3218-3250, October.
    28. Groh, Alexander Peter & von Liechtenstein, Heinrich & Lieser, Karsten, 2010. "The European Venture Capital and Private Equity country attractiveness indices," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 205-224, April.
    29. Alexander Peter Groh & Heinrich von Liechtenstein, 2011. "The First Step of the Capital Flow from Institutions to Entrepreneurs: the Criteria for Sorting Venture Capital Funds," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 17(3), pages 532-559, June.
    30. John Armour & Douglas Cumming, 2006. "The legislative road to Silicon Valley," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 58(4), pages 596-635, October.
    31. Jianhong Xue & Peter G. Klein, 2010. "Regional determinants of technology entrepreneurship," International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(3), pages 291-308.
    32. Leleux, Benoit & Surlemont, Bernard, 2003. "Public versus private venture capital: seeding or crowding out? A pan-European analysis," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 81-104, January.
    33. Douglas Cumming & Grant Fleming & Armin Schwienbacher, 2009. "Style Drift in Private Equity," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5‐6), pages 645-678, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan Labbé, 2017. "Private Equity: Universality of financing and universality of effects on business innovation? A conceptual approach [Capital-investissement : Universalité du financement et universalité des effets ," Post-Print hal-03000109, HAL.
    2. Jonathan Labbé, 2016. "Relationship between private and public investors: lever or hindrance to innovation [Relations entre investisseurs privés et publics : levier ou obstacle à l'innovation]," Post-Print hal-03000105, HAL.
    3. Di Pietro, Francesca & Butticè, Vincenzo, 2020. "Institutional characteristics and the development of crowdfunding across countries," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Cumming, Douglas & Zhang, Yelin, 2016. "Alternative investments in emerging markets: A review and new trends," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-23.
    5. Robert Baldock, 2016. "An assessment of the business impacts of the UK’s Enterprise Capital Funds," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(8), pages 1556-1581, December.
    6. Jianjun Xu & Lijie Yu & Rakesh Gupta, 2020. "Evaluating the Performance of the Government Venture Capital Guiding Fund Using the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    7. Cumming, Douglas & Henriques, Irene & Sadorsky, Perry, 2016. "‘Cleantech’ venture capital around the world," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 86-97.
    8. Pavlova, Elitsa & Signore, Simone, 2019. "The European venture capital landscape: an EIF perspective. Volume V: The economic impact of VC investments supported by the EIF," EIF Working Paper Series 2019/55, European Investment Fund (EIF).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Venture capital; Public policy; Government sponsorship; Tax; Crowding out;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law

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