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Uses of National Accounts; History, International Standardization and Applications in the Netherlands

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  • Bos, Frits

Abstract

The national accounts is commonly known by its key-aggregates (e.g. GDP and saving) and their role in public debate and decision-making. However, the national accounts plays many different roles for many different uses. This paper provides an overview of the development of these roles and uses since the seventeenth century. Three periods are distinguished: the early estimates (1660-1930), revolutionary decades (1930-1950) and the era of the international guidelines (1950-present). The paper discusses these roles and uses also much more in detail for one country: the Netherlands, a country which played an important role in modern national accounting and where expert data users, like the CPB, SCP and the Dutch central bank, have developed several interesting applications of the national accounts.

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  • Bos, Frits, 2008. "Uses of National Accounts; History, International Standardization and Applications in the Netherlands," MPRA Paper 9387, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:9387
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frits Bos, 2006. "The development of the Dutch national accounts as a tool for analysis and policy," Statistica Neerlandica, Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research, vol. 60(2), pages 225-258, May.
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    8. F. J. H. Don & J. P. Verbruggen, 2006. "Models and methods for economic policy: 60 years of evolution at CPB," Statistica Neerlandica, Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research, vol. 60(2), pages 145-170, May.
    9. Richard Ruggles, 1990. "A Note On The Revision Of The United Nations System Of National Accounts," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 36(4), pages 413-419, December.
    10. Henk Kranendonk & Johan Verbruggen, 2008. "Decomposition of GDP growth in European countries; different methods tell different stories," CPB Document 158, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    11. Jaszi, George, 1986. "An Economic Accountant's Audit," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 411-417, May.
    12. de Haan, Mark & Keuning, Steven J, 1996. "Taking the Environment into Account: The NAMEA Approach," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 42(2), pages 131-148, June.
    13. Bos, Frits, 1993. "Standard national accounting concepts, economic theory and data compilation issues; on constancy and change in the UN-Manuals on national accounting (1947, 1953, 1968, 1993)," MPRA Paper 2656, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Patinkin, Don, 1976. "Keynes and Econometrics: On the Interaction between the Macroeconomic Revolutions of the Interwar Period," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(6), pages 1091-1123, November.
    15. Carson, Carol S, 1975. "The History of the United States National Income and Product Accounts: The Development of an Analytical Tool," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 21(2), pages 153-181, June.
    16. Pyatt, Graham & Round, Jeffrey I, 1977. "Social Accounting Matrices for Development Planning," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 23(4), pages 339-364, December.
    17. Bos, Frits, 2007. "Use, misuse and proper use of national accounts statistics," MPRA Paper 2576, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Carol S. Carson, 1975. "The History Of The United States National Income And Product Accounts: The Development Of An Analytical Tool," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 21(2), pages 153-181, June.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Maria Antónia Jorge de Jesus & Susana Margarida Jorge, 2012. "Governmental Accounting versus National Accounts: Implications of different accounting bases on EU member-States Central Government deficit/surplus," Working Papers Series 2 12-01, ISCTE-IUL, Business Research Unit (BRU-IUL).
    3. Jesus, Maria Antónia & Jorge, Susana, 2016. "Accounting basis adjustments and deficit reliability: Evidence from southern European countries," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 77-88.
    4. Bos, Frits, 2011. "Three centuries of macro-economic statistics," MPRA Paper 35391, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Bos, Frits, 2013. "Meaning and measurement of national accounts statistics," MPRA Paper 44970, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Bos, Frits, 2011. "A national accounts satellite for human capital and education," MPRA Paper 33791, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Maack, Maria & Davidsdottir, Brynhildur, 2015. "Five capital impact assessment: Appraisal framework based on theory of sustainable well-being," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1338-1351.
    8. Bos, Frits, 2009. "The National Accounts as a Tool for Analysis and Policy; History, Economic Theory and Data Compilation Issues," MPRA Paper 23582, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Uses of the national accounts; history of national accounting; history of taxation; economic growth; Dutch national accounts; relevance and reliability of the national accounts; Petty; King; Vauban; Quesnay; Keynes; Clark; Kuznets; Leontief; Tinbergen; Hicks; van Cleeff; Stone; Meade; guidelines on national accounting; European unification; macro-economic modeling and forecasting; CPB; SCP; Dutch central bank; fiscal policy; productivity analysis; performance management; national accounts and welfare; measurement in economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B0 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - General
    • C82 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Macroeconomic Data; Data Access
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts

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