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Government Quality and Spatial Inequality: A Cross-Country Analysis

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  • Roberto Ezcurra

    (Department of Economics, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Campus de Arrasadia s/n 31006, Pamplona, Spain)

  • Andrés Rodríguez-Pose

    (Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A, England)

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between government quality and spatial inequality across forty-six countries over the period 1996–2006. The results of the analysis point to the existence of a negative and significant association between government quality and the magnitude of regional disparities. Countries with better quality of government register lower levels of spatial inequality. This finding is robust to the inclusion in the analysis of additional explanatory variables that may affect both regional disparities and governance outcomes. The observed link between government quality and spatial inequality is confirmed by various robustness tests.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Ezcurra & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2014. "Government Quality and Spatial Inequality: A Cross-Country Analysis," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(7), pages 1732-1753, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:46:y:2014:i:7:p:1732-1753
    DOI: 10.1068/a130046p
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    2. Lessmann, Christian & Seidel, André, 2017. "Regional inequality, convergence, and its determinants – A view from outer space," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 110-132.
    3. Leonel Muinelo-Gallo & Adrián Rodríguez-Miranda & Pablo Castro-Scavone, 2016. "Intergovernmental Transfers and Regional Income Inequalities: An Empirical Analysis of Uruguay," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 219(4), pages 9-34, December.
    4. Ezcurra, Roberto & Palacios, David, 2016. "Terrorism and spatial disparities: Does interregional inequality matter?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 60-74.
    5. Lehmann-Hasemeyer, Sibylle & Wahl, Fabian, 2017. "Savings Banks and the Industrial Revolution in Prussia Supporting Regional Development with Public Financial Institutions," CEPR Discussion Papers 12500, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Roberto Ezcurra & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2017. "Does ethnic segregation matter for spatial inequality?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1149-1178.
    7. Muinelo-Gallo, Leonel & Rodriguez-Miranda, Adrián & Castro-Scavone, Pablo, 2017. "Intergovernmental transfers and regional income inequalities in Uruguay," MPRA Paper 76983, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai, 2017. "The Political Economy of Regional Inequality in Ghana: Do Political Settlements Matter?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(1), pages 213-229, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    quality of government; spatial inequality;

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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