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The impact of international trade on institutions and infrastructure

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  • Hochman, Gal
  • Tabakis, Chrysostomos
  • Zilberman, David

Abstract

We develop a theoretical model that explores the impact of international trade on both institutions and infrastructure, while explicitly addressing the correlation between institutional quality and infrastructure investment. We show that trade leads to higher infrastructure investment so that domestic firms become more productive and can, thus, better compete internationally. However, infrastructure investment also has a detrimental effect on firms, as it is financed through firm taxation. As a result, when some firms have stronger political ties than others, trade leads to weaker institutions and more cronyism as the government attempts to lower the tax burden on the politically connected firms. Moreover, we show that trade with a partner characterized by high aggregate firm productivity or low firm fixed costs induces a country to invest more heavily in both its infrastructure and its institutional framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Hochman, Gal & Tabakis, Chrysostomos & Zilberman, David, 2013. "The impact of international trade on institutions and infrastructure," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 126-140.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:41:y:2013:i:1:p:126-140
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2012.07.001
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    3. Akihiko Yanase & Ngo Van Long & Ngo Van Long, 2020. "Trade Costs and Strategic Investment in Infrastructure in a Dynamic Global Economy with Symmetric Countries," CESifo Working Paper Series 8707, CESifo.
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    7. Azomahou, Théophile T. & Maemir, Hibret & Wako, Hassen A., 2021. "Contractual frictions and margins of trade," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 1048-1067.
    8. Pınar ÇUHADAR & Ömer DORU, 2020. "Institutions and International Trade Linkages: An Investigation with Panel Data Analysis on Transition Economies Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to analyze the impact of governance indicator as ," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 28(45).
    9. Faheem Ur Rehman & Yibing Ding & Abul Ala Noman & Muhammad Asif Khan, 2020. "The Nexus Between Infrastructure and Export: An Empirical Evidence from Pakistan," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 12(2), pages 141-157, May.
    10. Sosson Tadadjeu & Paul Ningaye & Henri Njangang, 2023. "Are natural resources also bad for infrastructure quality?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 1053-1079, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cronyism; Infrastructure; Institutions; International trade; Politically connected firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures

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