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Privatization and nationalization cycles

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  • Chang, Roberto
  • Hevia, Constantino
  • Loayza, Norman

Abstract

This paper studies the cycles of nationalization and privatization in resource-rich economies as a prime instance of unstable institutional reform. The authors discuss the available evidence on the drivers and consequences of privatization and nationalization, review the existing literature, and present illustrative case studies. This leads to the main contribution of the paper: a static and dynamic model of the choice between private and national regimes for the ownership of natural resources. In the model, the basic tradeoff is given by equality (national ownership) versus efficiency (private ownership). The connection between resource ownership and the equality-efficiency tradeoff is given by the incentives for effort that each regime elicits from workers. The resolution of the tradeoff depends on external and domestic conditions that affect the value of social welfare under each regime. This leads to a discussion of how external conditions—such as the commodity price—and domestic conditions—such as the tax system-- affect the choice of private vs. national regimes. In particular, the analysis identifies the determinants of the observed cycles of privatization and nationalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Roberto & Hevia, Constantino & Loayza, Norman, 2009. "Privatization and nationalization cycles," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5029, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Privatization-nationalization cycles
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2010-11-18 21:31:00

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    Cited by:

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    2. Jaakkola, Niko & Spiro, Daniel & van Benthem, Arthur A., 2019. "Finders, keepers?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 17-33.
    3. Mahdavi, Paasha, 2014. "Why do leaders nationalize the oil industry? The politics of resource expropriation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 228-243.
    4. Eden, Maya & Kraay, Aart & Qian, Rong, 2012. "Sovereign defaults and expropriations : empirical regularities," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6218, The World Bank.
    5. Hajzler, Christopher, 2014. "Resource-based FDI and expropriation in developing economies," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 124-146.
    6. Stan du Plessis, 2011. "Nationalising South African mines: Back to a prosperous future, or down a rabbit hole?," Working Papers 17/2011, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    7. Polterovich, Victor, 2013. "Приватизация И Рациональная Структура Собственности. Часть 2. Рационализация Структуры Собственности [Privatization and the rational ownership structure. Part 2: rationalization of the ownership st," MPRA Paper 64374, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Christopher Hajzler & Jonathan Rosborough, 2016. "Government Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment Under the Threat of Expropriation," Staff Working Papers 16-13, Bank of Canada.
    9. Çakir Melek, Nida, 2020. "Productivity, Nationalization, And The Role Of “News”: Lessons From The 1970s," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(5), pages 1264-1298, July.
    10. Voszka, Éva, 2013. "Államosítás, privatizáció, államosítás [Nationalization, privatization, nationalization]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(12), pages 1289-1317.
    11. Li, Wenhua & Adachi, Tsuyoshi, 2017. "Quantitative estimation of resource nationalism by binary choice logit model for panel data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 247-258.
    12. Li, Renyu & Ma, Zhongxin & Chen, Xirong, 2020. "Historical market genes, marketization and economic growth in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 327-333.
    13. Polterovich (Полтерович), Victor (Виктор), 2013. "Приватизация И Рациональная Структура Собственности. Часть 2. Рационализация Структуры Собственности [Privatization and the rational ownership structure. Part 2: rationalization of the ownership st," MPRA Paper 64168, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Restrepo-Ochoa, Diana Constanza & Peña, Juan Ignacio, 2020. "The impact of forced divestments on parent company stock prices: Buy on the rumor, sell on the news?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    15. Polterovich, Victor, 2012. "Приватизация и рациональная структура собственности (Privatizatsiya i ratsional’naya struktura sobstvennosti) [Privatization and the Rational Ownership Structure]," MPRA Paper 41069, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Monaldi, Francisco & Hernández, Igor & La Rosa Reyes, José, 2021. "The collapse of the Venezuelan oil industry: The role of above-ground risks limiting foreign investment," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

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    Keywords

    Economic Theory&Research; Political Economy; Emerging Markets; Labor Policies; Markets and Market Access;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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