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Geographical Features vs. Institutional Factors : New Perspectives on the Growth of Africa and Middle-East

Author

Listed:
  • Olivier Parent

    (UC - University of Cincinnati)

  • Abdallah Zouache

    (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This paper examines Africa's and Middle East's growth performance for the period 1990- 2005. It employs a Bayesian Model Averaging method that constructs estimates as a weighted average of Spatial Autoregressive estimates for every possible combination of included variables. One of the results of the paper is that the inclusion of spatial dependencies has a direct impact on the determinants of growth in Africa and Middle-East. Indeed, the methodology used in the paper offers an interesting response to the institution/geography debate on the explanation of growth and development. In particular, our methodology allows a selection of the institutional variables that count to explain low development since the geographical variables are partially integrated in the spatial dependence effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Parent & Abdallah Zouache, 2009. "Geographical Features vs. Institutional Factors : New Perspectives on the Growth of Africa and Middle-East," Post-Print hal-00430382, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00430382
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00430382v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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