nep-geo New Economics Papers
on Economic Geography
Issue of 2005‒07‒03
25 papers chosen by
Vassilis Monastiriotis
London School of Economics

  1. ENTRY DECISIONS AND ADVERSE SELECTION: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF LOCAL CREDIT MARKETS By Giorgio Gobbi; Francesca Lotti
  2. Monetary Policy Impulses, Local Output and the Transmission Mechanism By Massimo Caruso
  3. Bolívar: industrial, agropecuario y turístico By Gerson Javier Pérez V.
  4. La economía del Cesar después del algodón By José R. Gamarra V.
  5. Desindustrialización y terciarización espuria en el departamento del Atlántico, 1990 - 2005 By Jaime Bonet
  6. Modelling the Entrepreneurial Space-Economy: an overview By Nijkamp, Peter; Wissen, Leo van
  7. Multidimensional Evaluation of Urban Green Spaces : A Comparative Study on European Cities By Levent, Tuzin Baycan; Vreeker, Ron; Nijkamp, Peter
  8. Poverty, inequality, and geographic targeting By Simler, Kenneth R.; Nhate, Virgulino
  9. Road development, economic growth, and poverty reduction in China By Fan, Shenggen; Chan-Kang, Connie
  10. New Economic Geography meets Comecon: Regional Wages and Industry Location in Central Europe By Marius Brülhart; Pamina Koenig
  11. Regional Economic Development and Mexican Out-Migration By Kurt Unger
  12. Spacey Parents: Spatial Autoregressive Patterns in Inbound FDI By Bruce A. Blonigen; Ronald B. Davies; Helen T. Naughton; Glen R. Waddell
  13. A Model of the Learning Process with Local Knowledge Externalities Illustrated with an Integrated Graphical Framework By Mário Alexandre Silva; Aurora A. C. Teixeira
  14. Semiparametric Construction of Spatial Generalized Hedonic Models for Private Properties By Stefan Sebastian Fahrlaender
  15. The Continuing Practice and Impact of Discrimination By Stephen L. Ross
  16. Knowledge Creation as a Square Dance on the Hilbert Cube By Marcus Berliant; Masahisa Fujita
  17. Social capital as social networks. A new framework for measurement By Fabio Sabatini
  18. Social Capital, Public Spending and the Quality of Economic Development By Fabio Sabatini
  19. Knowledge Exchange, Matching, and Agglomeration By Marcus Berliant; Robert R. Reed III; Ping Wang
  20. Short-run and Long-run Effects of Corruption on Economic Growth: Evidence from State-Level Cross-Section Data for the United States By Nobuo Akai; Yusaku Horiuchi; Masayo Sakata
  21. Selling the Big Game: Estimating the Economic Impact of Mega-Events through Taxable Sales By Victor Matheson; Robert Baade
  22. DISPARIDADES REGIONALES EN LA TASA DE PARO: EL PAPEL DEL MECANISMO DE DETERMINACIÓN SALARIAL By Roberto Bande; Melchor Fernandez; Victor Montuenga
  23. UN MODELO EXPLICATIVO DE LA LOCALIZACIÓN REGIONAL DE LA INVERSIÓN EXTRANJERA DIRECTA. UNA APLICACIÓN A LA ECONOMÃA ESPAÑOLA By Raquel Diaz Vazquez
  24. DESCENTRALIZACIÓN DE LA NEGOCIACIÓN COLECTIVA Y DESEMPLEO REGIONAL: EVIDENCIA PARA LA ECONOMÃA GALLEGA By Roberto Bande; Melchor Fernandez
  25. An Analysis of Household Responses to Price Shocks in Vietnam: Can Unit Values Substitute for Market Prices? By Yoko Niimi

  1. By: Giorgio Gobbi (Economics Research Department, Bank of Italy); Francesca Lotti (Economics Research Department, Bank of Italy)
    Abstract: During the last decades there has been a widespread relaxation of legal entry barriers into the banking industry, with potential benefits for financial integration and competition. Obstacles to banks' geographical and business expansion have been removed and branching has been substantially liberalized. This paper analyzes the determinants of entry decisions into local credit markets using a unique data set before and after deregulation of the Italian banking industry. We estimate an entry model à la Poisson and find evidence that spreads between loan and deposit rates drive entry only for newly chartered banks, but does not affect the decision to open branches of banks operating in other markets. Branching by outside banks is instead positively correlated with business opportunities in the provision of financial services which do not require the acquisition of substantial proprietary information. Both these results are consistent with the hypothesis that in credit markets incumbents have an informational advantage over new entrants.
    Keywords: Entry, deregulation, informational barriers, count data, overdispersion
    JEL: G21 L22 C25
    Date: 2004–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_535_04&r=geo
  2. By: Massimo Caruso (Banca d'Italia, Sede di Roma, Nucleo per la ricerca economica, via XX Settembre 97/e 00187 Rome ITALY)
    Abstract: This paper evaluates the effects of unanticipated monetary policy shocks on Italian output on the basis of highly disaggregated data and a VAR methodology. The impact of unexpected changes in the money market interest rate on the pattern of industrial production - based on qualitative business opinion survey data - has been computed for 164 local industries. The perceived output effects of monetary impulses go up for local industries with higher investment expenditures, less liquid firms and for industrial sectors that have a higher correlation with the aggregate business cycle. The hypothesis that small firms bear a disproportionate burden of monetary policy does not find support in this sample.
    Keywords: monetary policy shocks, business opinion surveys, heterogeneity
    JEL: E52 E58 R12
    Date: 2004–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_537_04&r=geo
  3. By: Gerson Javier Pérez V.
    Abstract: A pesar de ser la industria el sector más representativo en la producción de Bolívar, no sólo se concentra en una parte muy pequeña del territorio, sino que genera empleo en una parte muy reducida de la población. Por otro lado, las actividades del sector primario tales como la agricultura, ganadería, minería y las actividades artesanales, son el sustento de los habitantes de los municipios diferentes a la capital. Mientras que el Bolívar cartagenero es industrial, portuario y turístico, el resto del departamento es fundamentalmente agropecuario. El documento presenta una perspectiva amplia sobre los aspectos más relevantes del departamento a partir de los años noventa. En algunos casos se plantean recomendaciones de política que pueden contribuir a la discusión sobre el crecimiento económico del departamento. Los resultados muestran que si bien Bolívar afronta una situación que lo ubica dentro de los entes territoriales más pobres y menos desarrollados del país y de la región, con apoyo del gobierno nacional ha logrado mejorar algunos aspectos importantes como la cobertura en servicios básicos, salud, educación, servicios públicos e infraestructura vial. Sin embargo, hace falta un camino bastante largo en el mejoramiento de la situación de los habitantes del departamento, lo cual puede lograrse únicamente con el compromiso del gobierno departamental y de los gobiernos locales de realizar un manejo eficiente de los recursos.
    Keywords: Departamento de Bolívar,
    JEL: R1
    Date: 2005–07–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000122:001008&r=geo
  4. By: José R. Gamarra V.
    Abstract: Desde su creación en la década de 1960, el departamento del Cesar ha recorrido los picos más pronunciados de los ciclos económicos y sociales. En la década de 1970 se cayeron los precios del algodón y con ellos el auge económico con el que empezó el departamento. En la década de 1980 la economía se estancó, y en los noventa la crisis se intensificó. A partir de 1995 empiezan las exportaciones de carbón, el valor de estas exportaciones hizo que la caída de los indicadores económicos del Cesar no fuera tan grave. La minería ha tenido efectos positivos sobre su área de influencia directa por medio de la creación de empleos y regalías. A pesar de la importancia en las finanzas municipales, la ejecución de las regalías no ha sido la más eficaz, y no se han traducido en mayores logros de servicios básicos. Para los mismos años que empezaron las exportaciones de carbón, los indicadores de pobreza en el departamento muestran un desmejoramiento de las condiciones de vida en el Cesar. La situación de servicios básicos, de infraestructura y de educación muestran un rezago del Cesar con respecto al país y otros departamentos de la región. Bajo este panorama se puede ver un proceso de ajuste de la economía departamental en los últimos años. La década de 1990 se caracterizó por la consolidación de la ganadería y el cultivo de palma, la disminución de los cultivos transitorios y el afianzamiento de la miner ía de carbón.
    Keywords: Economía regional,
    JEL: R0
    Date: 2005–07–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000122:001020&r=geo
  5. By: Jaime Bonet
    Abstract: Luego de un acelerado crecimiento económico en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX y la primera del siglo XX, el departamento del Atlántico ha experimentado un estancamiento social y económico en las últimas décadas. Los distintos indicadores sociales muestran un deterioro en las condiciones de vida de sus habitantes y en el aparato productivo departamental, lo que no le ha permitido recuperar el papel protagónico de otros años. Se ha generado un proceso de desindustrialización en la estructura económica departamental, el cual, a su vez, ha estado acompañado de una terciarización espuria. Este estancamiento se explica por diferentes factores: el proceso de aglomeración regional que ha experimentado el país, la baja formación del recurso humano, la deficiente infraestructura de servicios y portuaria, la poca vinculación del aparato productivo departamental con los mercados externos y los cambios organizacionales al interior de los grupos económicos nacionales. La consolidación de una zona portuaria sin restricciones de calado, un programa de mejoramiento de la educación departamental y una mayor inserción de la economía local en el mercado internacional serían fundamentales para retomar una senda de crecimiento sostenido. Esta tarea exige la presencia de unos gobiernos locales con balances fiscales sólidos que les permita financiar los proyectos de inversión requeridos.
    Keywords: Departamento del Atlántico,
    JEL: R10
    Date: 2005–07–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000122:001021&r=geo
  6. By: Nijkamp, Peter (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie (Free University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics Sciences, Business Administration and Economitrics); Wissen, Leo van
    Abstract: The aim of this paper is to review recent contributions to the study of entrepreneurship and firm dynamics from a methodological and firm demographic perspective. Understanding the contemporary changes in business life requires a thorough understanding of structural changes in entrepreneurial behaviour and firm dynamics, both in space and in time. The spatial and temporal aspects of business life have in recent years received much attention, and a review is given here. The framework concept of the 'firm life course' is proposed in this article to integrate both dimensions. The firm life course represents the way firms organize their life path over time in sequences of critical events, decisions, and periods. The dimensions of time and space appear to be highly connected in business life. Not only is firm mobility increasing, but also are entrepreneurs increasingly acting as networkers. The emergence of virtual and dynamic networks of entrepreneurs calls for new methods of research of dealing with them. This article maps out some of the modern research trends in this domain.
    Keywords: entrepreneurship; dynamics
    Date: 2004
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:vuarem:2004-13&r=geo
  7. By: Levent, Tuzin Baycan (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie (Free University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics Sciences, Business Administration and Economitrics); Vreeker, Ron; Nijkamp, Peter
    Abstract: Urban green spaces play an important role in improving quality of life and sustainability in cities and require a careful empirical assessment. Several factors such as social, economic, ecological or planning aspects, and several functions such as utilization, production, employment, education, regulation and preservation of urban green spaces form the basis for the determination of the criteria and indicators relevant for the assessment of urban green spaces. This multi-faceted ramification of urban green spaces needs therefore, a multidimensional evaluation approach in an urban policy context. The aim of this paper is to investigate the complex and heterogeneous structure of urban green spaces from a multi-faceted assessment perspective. The paper examines urban green spaces from the viewpoint of quantity and availability of urban green spaces, changes in green spaces, planning of urban green spaces, financing of urban green spaces and level of performance, on the basis of a comparison of 24 European cities by deploying a multi-criteria analysis for mixed quantitative and qualitative information, coined Regime Analysis. It aims to highlight the present situation and priorities in decision-making and to compare the green performance of European cities in the process of urban green planning and management. A comparison of urban green spaces in European cities by means of multi-criteria analysis brings to light the critical elements in the present situation and sets out choice directions based on priorities in decision-making and policy evaluation. This evaluation of several experiences in different regions and countries provides a fascinating European picture in terms of urban green planning and management.
    Keywords: urban green spaces; cities; Europe
    Date: 2004
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:vuarem:2004-17&r=geo
  8. By: Simler, Kenneth R.; Nhate, Virgulino
    Abstract: "This paper applies small area estimation techniques to Mozambican data to develop high resolution (subdistrictlevel) poverty and inequality maps...The picture that emerges is one of considerable local-level economic heterogeneity, with the poor living alongside the nonpoor. Rather than finding stark pockets of intense poverty traps in one part of the country and a relative absence of poverty in other parts, the situation is much more nuanced. This suggests that targeting antipoverty efforts on purely geographic criteria is almost certain to be inefficient, with leakages to the nonpoor and under-coverage of the significant numbers of poor households in areas that are “less poor.”" From Text
    Keywords: Inequality ,Geographic targeting ,Small area estimation ,Poverty mapping ,
    Date: 2005
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:fcndbr:192&r=geo
  9. By: Fan, Shenggen; Chan-Kang, Connie
    Abstract: "Since 1985, the Chinese government has given high priority to building roads, particularly high-quality roads that connect industrial centers. This report evaluates the contribution roads have made to poverty reduction and economic growth in China over the last two decades. It disaggregates road infrastructure into different classes to account for differences in their quality, and then estimates the impact of road investments on overall economic growth, agricultural growth, urban growth, urban poverty reduction, and rural poverty reduction. The report makes the case for a greater focus on low-quality and rural roads in future infrastructure investment strategies in China. It does so by showing how investing in low-quality and rural roads will generate larger marginal returns, raise more people out of poverty per yuan invested, and reduce regional development disparity more sharply than investing in high-quality roads. The study's findings will have considerable implications for China's infrastructure policy." Authors' Abstract
    Keywords: Human capital ,
    Date: 2005
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:resrep:138&r=geo
  10. By: Marius Brülhart; Pamina Koenig
    Abstract: We analyze the internal spatial wage and employment structures of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, using regional data for 1996-2000. A new economic geography model predicts wage gradients and specialization patterns that are smoothly related to regions' relative market access. As an alternative, we formulate a "Comecon hypothesis", according to which wages and sectoral location are not systematically related to market access except for discrete concentrations in capital regions. Our estimations confirm the ongoing relevance of the Comecon hypothesis: compared to pre-2004 EU members, Central European countries' average wages and service employment were still discretely higher in capital regions. Our results point towards an increase in relative wages and employment shares of Central Europe's provincial regions, favoring particularly those that are proximate to the large markets of incumbent EU members.
    Keywords: regional wages; industry location; transition economies; Central Europe; new economic geography
    JEL: P25 R12
    Date: 2005–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lau:crdeep:05.01&r=geo
  11. By: Kurt Unger
    Abstract: This paper shows evidence of positive effects in the economic development of sending communities in Mexico due to migration. The principal hypothesis of this study is that remittances, knowledge and experience acquired by migrants during their migratory cycle, can be translated into larger economic growth in the out migration municipalities. This result presupposes that Government could create complementary incentives to take advantage of profitable activities. Economic and migration data for each municipality is used which allows to associate characteristics of communities, migratory flows and the effects in profitable activities. There are three sections. A first section describes the sending municipalities according to migratory intensity and their urban /rural nature. The second section analyzes the relation between remittances and socioeconomic conditions of the communities. In a third section the effect over time is estimated, relating per capita income growth and migratory flows intensity. The most relevant results are the existence of income convergence over time between high and low migration municipalities in the North and South of Mexico. As well, we find a positive and significant relation between per capita income growth and the percentage of households that receive remittances across communities, both at the country level and for the northern and southern regions separately.
    JEL: J1
    Date: 2005–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11432&r=geo
  12. By: Bruce A. Blonigen; Ronald B. Davies; Helen T. Naughton; Glen R. Waddell
    Abstract: Increasing attention has been given to the impact of third countries on outbound FDI to a given host country. Here, we consider potential third-country effects on inbound FDI. A simple model suggests two sources of such effects on a country's inbound FDI. First, it will tend to receive more FDI from parent countries proximate to large third countries. Second, FDI from third countries may increase or decrease FDI from the parent country in question depending on whether production spillovers or crowding out effects dominate. Using data on US inbound FDI from OECD countries during 1980-2000, we find strong evidence for parent market proximity effects. We find robust results for third country FDI effects only in a European subsample. There, crowding out effects dominate.
    JEL: F21 F23
    Date: 2005–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11466&r=geo
  13. By: Mário Alexandre Silva (Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto); Aurora A. C. Teixeira (CEMPRE, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto)
    Abstract: We present a unified graphical framework accounting for the nature and impact of spillover effects. The dynamics of the learning process with a specific spillover transfer mechanism can be illustrated by recurring to this four-quadrant picture. In particular, a whole cycle of technological learning is explained with help of such a graphical representation of the basic learning process in the presence of knowledge spillovers. We hypothesize two different functional specifications of spillover exchanges among firms within a local innovation system. Each conceivable shape for the knowledge transfer relationship among firms expresses a possible mode and intensity of information processing arising from technology spillovers. A general proposition regarding the relative efficiency of the two alternative formal models with spillovers effects is derived. The basic models with spillover effects are then extended in several relevant directions.
    Keywords: Learning; knowledge; technology spillovers; knowledge externalities; local innovation systems
    JEL: O31 O32 R19
    Date: 2005–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:por:fepwps:179&r=geo
  14. By: Stefan Sebastian Fahrlaender
    Abstract: This paper analyzes the empirical hedonic prices for non-standard condominiums and single family houses using nonparametric estimates as well as a generalized additive model for the spatial generalization of the attractiveness of all Swiss communities. We find that the assumption of log-linearity for continuous variables does not hold but can be replaced by partwise log-linear or quadratic terms. Due to the topographical segmentation of Switzerland, driving times seem to be more adequate than geographical distances to explain the price level of a village with the price level of its neighbours. We show, that using metric multidimensional scaling, the driving times between the villages can be converted into artificial coordinates with three principal axis to serve as a basis for the prediction of the macro-locations of the Swiss villages
    Keywords: Hedonic prices; private property; Switzerland; robust regression; splines; multidimensional scaling
    JEL: C52 R31
    Date: 2005–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ube:dpvwib:dp0507&r=geo
  15. By: Stephen L. Ross (University of Connecticut)
    Abstract: This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the evidence on housing and mortgage lending, as well as the potential impacts of such discrimination on minority outcomes like homeownership and neighborhood environment. The paper begins by discussing conceptual issues surrounding empirical analyses of discrimination including explanations for why discrimination takes place, defining different forms of discrimination, and the appropriate interpretation of observed racial and ethnic differences in treatment or outcomes. Next, the paper reviews evidence on housing market discrimination starting with evidence of segregation and price differences in the housing market and followed by direct evidence of discrimination by real estate agents in paired testing studies. Finally, mortgage market discrimination and barriers to access to mortgage credit are discussed. This discussion begins with an assessment of the role credit barriers play in explaining racial and ethnic differences in homeownership and follows with discussions of analyses of underwriting and the price of credit based on administrative and private sector data sources including analyses of the subprime market. The paper concludes that housing discrimination has declined especially in the market for owner-occupied housing and does not appear to play a large role in limiting the neighborhood choices of minority households or the concentration of minorities into central cities. On the other hand, the patterns of racial centralization and lower home ownership rates of African-Americans appear to be related to each other, and lower minority homeownership rates are in part attributable to barriers in the market for mortgage credit. The paper presents considerable evidence of racial and ethnic differences in mortgage underwriting, as well as additional evidence suggesting these differences may be attributable to differential provision of coaching, assistance, and support by loan officers. At this point, innovation in loan products, the shift towards risk based pricing, and growth of the subprime market have not mitigated the role credit barriers play in explaining racial and ethnic differences in homeownership, but rather appears to raise additional opportunities for discrimination on the price of mortgage credit. The growth of the subprime industry also appears to have segmented the market in terms of geography and substantially increased the cost of relying on spatially nearby sources of mortgage credit. On a more positive note, the potential role played by loan officers in mortgage market discrimination suggests that the shift towards automated underwriting may lead to substantial improvements for minority applicants over time.
    Keywords: Homeownership, Housing Discrimination, Mortgage Lending Discrimination, Segregation, subprime lending.
    JEL: G21 G15 L85 R21 R30
    Date: 2005–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uct:uconnp:2005-19&r=geo
  16. By: Marcus Berliant (Washington University in St. Louis); Masahisa Fujita (Kyoto University)
    Abstract: This paper presents a micro-model of knowledge creation through the interactions among a group of people. Our model incorporates two key aspects of the cooperative process of knowledge creation: (i) heterogeneity of people in their state of knowledge is essential for successful cooperation in the joint creation of new ideas, while (ii) the very process of cooperative knowledge creation affects the heterogeneity of people through the accumulation of knowledge in common. The model features myopic agents in a pure externality model of interaction. Surprisingly, in the general case for a large set of initial conditions we find that the equilibrium process of knowledge creation may converge to the most productive state, where the population splits into smaller groups of optimal size; close interaction takes place within each group only. This optimal size is larger as the heterogeneity of knowledge is more important in the knowledge production process. Equilibrium paths are found analytically, and they are a discontinuous function of initial heterogeneity.
    Keywords: knowledge creation, knowledge externalities, microfoundations of endogenous growth
    JEL: D83 O31 R11
    Date: 2005–06–22
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpga:0506006&r=geo
  17. By: Fabio Sabatini (University of Rome La Sapienza)
    Abstract: The contribution of this paper to the social capital literature is twofold. Drawing on the Italian data, it firstly provides a new framework for measurement, allowing to build indicators for five different components of the multidimensional concept of social capital. Secondly, it provides a single, synthetic, measure capturing that particular configuration of social capital which the literature generally associates with positive economic outcomes. This measure is here referred to as “developmental social capital”.
    Keywords: Social capital, Social networks, Economic development, Principal component analysis, Multiple factor analysis
    JEL: A12 O10 O18 R11
    Date: 2005–06–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpot:0506013&r=geo
  18. By: Fabio Sabatini (University of Rome La Sapienza)
    Abstract: This paper carries out an empirical assessment of the relationship between social capital and the quality of economic development in Italy. The analysis draws on a dataset collected by the author including about two hundred variables representing different aspects of economic development and four “structural” dimensions of social capital. The quality of development is measured through human development and indicators of the state of health of urban ecosystems, public services, gender equality, and labour markets, while social capital is measured through synthetic indicators representing strong family ties, weak informal ties, voluntary organizations, and political participation. The quality of development exhibits a strong positive correlation with bridging weak ties and a negative correlation with strong family ties. Particularly, the analysis shows a strong correlation between informal ties and an indicator of “social well-being” (synthetizing gender equality, public services and labour markets) and between voluntary organizations and the state of health of urban ecosystems. Active political participation proves to be irrelevant in terms of development and well-being. Finally, the role of public spending for education, health care, welfare work, and the environment protection is analysed, revealing a scarce correlation both with social capital and development indicators.
    Keywords: Social capital, Social networks, Public spending, Economic development, Principal component analysis
    JEL: O15 O18 R11
    Date: 2005–06–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpot:0506014&r=geo
  19. By: Marcus Berliant (Washington University in St. Louis); Robert R. Reed III (University of Kentucky); Ping Wang (Washington University in St. Louis)
    Abstract: Despite wide recognition of their significant role in explaining sustained growth and economic development, uncompensated knowledge spillovers have not yet been fully modeled with a microeconomic foundation. This paper illustrates the exchange of knowledge as well as its consequences for agglomerative activity in a general-equilibrium search-theoretic framework. Agents, possessing differentiated types of knowledge, search for partners to exchange ideas in order to improve production efficacy. Contrary to previous work, we demonstrate that a decentralized equilibrium may be under-populated or over-populated and underselective or over-selective in knowledge exchange, compared to the social optimum.
    Keywords: matching, knowledge exchange and spillovers, agglomerative activity
    JEL: C78 D51 R12
    Date: 2005–06–23
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpur:0506013&r=geo
  20. By: Nobuo Akai; Yusaku Horiuchi; Masayo Sakata
    Abstract: Theoretical studies suggest that corruption may counteract government failure and promote economic growth in the short run, given exogenously determined sub optimal bureaucratic rules and regulations. As the government failure is itself a function of corruption, however, corruption should have detrimental effects on economic growth in the long run. In this paper, we measure the rate of economic growth for various time spans—short (1998–2000), middle (1995–2000) and long (1991–2000)—using previously uninvestigated state-level cross-section data for the United States. Our two-stage least square (2SLS) estimates with a carefully selected set of instruments show that the effect of corruption on economic growth is indeed negative and statistically significant in the middle and long spans but insignificant in the short span.
    JEL: O40 D73
    Date: 2005
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idc:wpaper:idec05-5&r=geo
  21. By: Victor Matheson (Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross); Robert Baade (Department of Economics and Business, Lake Forest College)
    Abstract: Professional sports leagues, franchises, and civic boosters, have used the promise of an all star game or league championship as an incentive for host cities to construct new stadiums or arenas at considerable public expense. Past league-sponsored studies have estimated that Super Bowls, All-Star games and other sports mega-events increase economic activity by hundreds of millions of dollars in host cities. Our analysis fails to support these claims. Our detailed regression analysis of taxable sales in Florida over the period 1980 to 2004 reveals that on, average, mega-events ranging from the World Cup to the World Series have been associated with reductions in taxable sales in host regions of $5 to $10 million per month. Likewise, strikes in Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball League, each of which has resulted in the cancellation of large parts of entire seasons, appear to have also had no demonstrable negative effect on taxable sales in host cities. Length: 31 pages
    Keywords: impact analysis, sports, mega-event, championship
    JEL: L83 R53
    Date: 2005–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hcx:wpaper:0510&r=geo
  22. By: Roberto Bande (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela); Melchor Fernandez (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela); Victor Montuenga (Universidad de La Rioja)
    Abstract: En las ultimas decadas, la existencia de diferencias significativas y persistentes en las tasas de paro regionales ha fomentado un renovado interes por el estudio de las caracteristicas del mercado de trabajo en el ambito regional. El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar hasta que punto el mecanismo de determinacion salarial en la industria española es rigido y homogeneo en el ambito sectorial y cual puede ser la repercusion de este hecho en la evolucion del empleo regional. Para ello, estimamos una ecuacion de Determinacion salarial a escala regional con datos industriales, cuyos resultados confirman las apreciables diferencias sectoriales detectadas en el ambito nacional en la relacion entre salario y productividad. Sin embargo, para cada sector el comportamiento entre regiones es bastante homogeneo, lo que podria explicarse por un sistema de negociacion colectiva en el que predomina el convenio sectorial frente al de empresa. Estas apreciables diferencias entre sectores de actividad pueden ser en gran medida la explicacion ultima de la evolucion reciente de los mercados de trabajo regionales.
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:edg:anecon:0018&r=geo
  23. By: Raquel Diaz Vazquez (Universidad de Vigo)
    Abstract: En la reciente literatura sobre economia internacional ha surgido un nuevo interes por el estudio de los factores que determinan y promueven la localizacion territorial de las grandes masas de capital financiero con fines productivos. Creciente aperturismo internacional y reafirmacion de los aspectos regionales y locales dentro de cada nacion son los elementos “casi antagonicos†que definen la nueva situacion. En este nuevo contexto, las justificaciones tradicionales a los desplazamientos internacionales de capital basadas casi exclusivamente en motivaciones salariales parecen no ser la respuesta adecuada y la existencia de otras “ventajas de localizacion†como el nivel de infraestructuras, o el capital humano, puede ser las clave que justifique la situacion actual. En el plano teorico, estas variables cualitativas regionales, pero con efectos cuantitativos sobre las propias empresas multinacionales a traves de un incremento en sus niveles de productividad que compensa unos elevados niveles salariales, se desvelan en esta investigacion como los determinantes basicos de la ubicacion regional de las nuevas inversiones internacionales con fines productivos. En el plano real, estos aspectos regionales externos a la empresa, pero de incidencia en la misma, son la explicacion a la desigual distribucion regional de la Inversion Extranjera Directa instalada recientemente en la economia española.
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:edg:anecon:0023&r=geo
  24. By: Roberto Bande (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela); Melchor Fernandez (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela)
    Abstract: En este trabajo se analiza la influencia que el proceso de descentralizacion de la negociacion colectiva desarrollado en la economia española desde 1986 puede haber tenido sobre la capacidad de creacion de empleo en el mercado de trabajo gallego. A traves de la estimacion de una ecuacion de determinacion salarial para la economia gallega y para el resto de la economia española, se concluye que dicho proceso ha supuesto un importante cambio en la vinculacion de los salarios fijados en Galicia respecto a las condiciones generales del mercado de trabajo del resto de España. Ello limitaria la capacidad de creacion de empleo en la economia gallega.
    Keywords: Salarios, productividad, negociacion colectiva, desempleo
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:edg:anecon:0029&r=geo
  25. By: Yoko Niimi (Poverty Research Unit at Sussex, University of Sussex)
    Abstract: This paper examines the robustness of Deaton’s widely used method for estimating consumer responses. While unit values, ratios of expenditures to quantities purchased, are often employed in demand analysis as proxies for missing market prices, Deaton argues bias is likely to result as a consequence of both quality effects and measurement error. Hence he proposes a procedure that corrects the bias and enables price elasticities to be obtained in the absence of explicit price information. Given the availability of market price data and unit values in Vietnam, this paper estimates a food demand system and investigates the usefulness of Deaton’s method. It also takes the analysis a step further to the existing literature by computing the welfare impact of price changes to see how Deaton’s method performs in this context. The results demonstrate that Deaton’s method generates materially different price elasticities from those estimated with market prices. However, it produces relatively similar results for the welfare analysis. Deaton’s procedure therefore appears to be valid in welfare analysis at least in the case of Vietnam, but the findings also indicate that its use by policymakers should carry a strong health warning.
    Keywords: consumer demand, price elasticities, unit values, quality, welfare analysis, Vietnam
    JEL: D12 R2
    Date: 2005–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pru:wpaper:30&r=geo

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