Trade, Growth and Governance
The project studies how profits from trade and technological transfers are influenced by corruption and other institutional factors.Participants
Per Botolf Maurseth
Jens Chr Andvig
Trude Rønning
Eeconomic integration, economic growth and governance are often studied in isolation without analysing their interdependence. This project links together studies of globalisation, economic growth and governance, incorporating various measures of good governance in order to explain the large apparent heterogeneity of effects of trade policy. Through spatial econometric methods, account is taken of the fact that economic variables often show clustering in space. Furthermore, the project investigates relationships between governance, corruption and economic integration.
It is relatively well established empirically that more open economies tend to have better governance and the less corruption. Concerns about corruption and other governance factors have increased and perceived to be increasing as the international economic system has become more open. Here we explore the consequences of an unequal distribution of country governance capabilities for the high and low corrupt countries in an internationally open world economy. The project also studies the local geographical clustering of countries into high and low corruption clusters. The size of underground economies is likely to be important here.
Economic integration, economic growth and governance are often studied in isolation without analysing their interdependence. This project links together studies of globalisation, economic growth and governance, incorporating various measures of good governance in order to explain the large apparent heterogeneity of effects of trade policy. Through spatial econometric methods, account is taken of the fact that economic variables often show clustering in space. Furthermore, the project investigates relationships between governance, corruption and economic integration.
It is relatively well established empirically that more open economies tend to have better governance and the less corruption. Concerns about corruption and other governance factors have increased and perceived to be increasing as the international economic system has become more open. Here we explore the consequences of an unequal distribution of country governance capabilities for the high and low corrupt countries in an internationally open world economy. The project also studies the local geographical clustering of countries into high and low corruption clusters. The size of underground economies is likely to be important here.
Funding
The Research Council of Norway.
Publications
- Maurseth, Per Botolf (2010). Trade and growth – again. NUPI Working Paper: 771. 23 pages. The paper discusses effects of trade policy on economic growth. The results indicate that high tariff rates on manufactured goods reduce economic growth, while there are no such effects from protection of argicultural goods.
- Gbewopo Attila (2008). Is corruption contagious? An econometric analysis. NUPI Working Paper: 742. 33 pages. The paper seeks to explain why corruption is perpetuating in large geographical areas populated by developing countries despite anti-corruption efforts made in the single country.
- Andvig, Jens Chr (2008). Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa and its sources of evidence. NUPI Working Paper: 744. 58 pages. This paper deals mainly with present corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa and focuses on corruption in the public sector.
- Andvig, Jens Chr (2006). Geographical spread of corruption. Policies, institutions and cross-country economic interaction.: Part I: Issues, theory. NUPI Working Paper: 695. 35 pages. A review of the existing theory on the spread of corruption.
- Maurseth, Per Botolf (2008). Governance Indicators: A guided Tour. NUPI Working Paper: 754. 43 pages. This paper reviews some commonly used governance indicators, and their construction and their usefulness are discussed.
