Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004

This paper revisits the early empirical literature on economic growth in transition economies, with particular focus on fiscal policy variables-fiscal balance and the size of government. The baseline model uses a parsimonious specification, drawn f...

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Main Authors: Pushak, Taras, Tiongson, Erwin R., Varoudakis, Aristomene
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/06/7726702/public-finance-governance-growth-transition-economies-empirical-evidence-1992-2004
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7415
id okr-10986-7415
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ACCOUNTING
ADVERSE EFFECTS
ALLOCATION
ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES
ANNUAL GROWTH
ANNUAL GROWTH RATE
BRIBES
BUDGET CONSTRAINT
BUREAUCRACY
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
CAPITAL STOCK
CAUSAL EFFECT
CONSENSUS
DATA ANALYSIS
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DEVELOPING ECONOMIES
DIRECT INVESTMENT
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE
EMPIRICAL MODELS
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORK
EXPENDITURE LEVELS
EXPENDITURE POLICIES
EXPENDITURE PROGRAMS
FISCAL ADJUSTMENT
FISCAL ADJUSTMENTS
FISCAL BALANCE
FISCAL CONSOLIDATION
FISCAL DATA
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL IMBALANCES
FISCAL POLICY
FISCAL POSITION
FISCAL STABILITY
FIXED EFFECTS
FIXED EFFECTS ESTIMATOR
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
GOOD GOVERNANCE
GOVERNANCE INDICATOR
GOVERNANCE INDICATORS
GOVERNANCE QUALITY
GOVERNMENT CAPITAL
GOVERNMENT CONSUMPTION
GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
GOVERNMENT SIZE
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
GROWTH EQUATION
GROWTH LITERATURE
GROWTH MODEL
GROWTH PERFORMANCE
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
GROWTH REGRESSION
GROWTH REGRESSIONS
HEALTH CARE
HIGH TAXES
HUMAN CAPITAL
INCOME
INCOME LEVELS
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
INDIRECT APPROACH
INFLATION
INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY
INVESTMENT CLIMATE
LABOR FORCE
LONG TERM
LONG-RUN GROWTH
LONG-TERM GROWTH
LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES
MACROECONOMIC INSTABILITY
MACROECONOMIC STABILITY
MACROECONOMIC STABILIZATION
MARGINAL BENEFIT
MARGINAL BENEFIT OF EXPENDITURE
MARGINAL BENEFITS
MARGINAL COST
MARGINAL COST OF TAXATION
MARGINAL EFFECT
MARKET ECONOMY
MARKET FAILURE
MEMBER STATES
NATIONAL AUTHORITIES
NEGATIVE IMPACT
NET INVESTMENT
PER CAPITA GROWTH
PER CAPITA INCOME
POLICY AGENDA
POLICY REFORM
POLICY RESEARCH
POLICY VARIABLES
POLITICAL DYNAMICS
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRIVATE INVESTMENT
PRIVATE SECTOR
PROGRAM DESIGN
PUBLIC CAPITAL
PUBLIC CONSUMPTION
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES
PUBLIC FINANCE
PUBLIC GOODS
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
PUBLIC INVESTMENTS
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE
PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC SERVICE
PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY
PUBLIC SPENDING
REFORM PROCESS
REFORM PROGRAMS
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SECTOR ACTIVITIES
SERVICE DELIVERY
SIGNIFICANT EFFECT
SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE
SIZE OF GOVERNMENT
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL SPENDING
STRUCTURAL BREAK
STRUCTURAL REFORM
STRUCTURAL REFORMS
TAX ADMINISTRATION
TAX BURDEN
TAX POLICY
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
TOTAL SAMPLE
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
UNCERTAINTY
spellingShingle ACCOUNTING
ADVERSE EFFECTS
ALLOCATION
ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES
ANNUAL GROWTH
ANNUAL GROWTH RATE
BRIBES
BUDGET CONSTRAINT
BUREAUCRACY
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
CAPITAL STOCK
CAUSAL EFFECT
CONSENSUS
DATA ANALYSIS
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DEVELOPING ECONOMIES
DIRECT INVESTMENT
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE
EMPIRICAL MODELS
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORK
EXPENDITURE LEVELS
EXPENDITURE POLICIES
EXPENDITURE PROGRAMS
FISCAL ADJUSTMENT
FISCAL ADJUSTMENTS
FISCAL BALANCE
FISCAL CONSOLIDATION
FISCAL DATA
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL IMBALANCES
FISCAL POLICY
FISCAL POSITION
FISCAL STABILITY
FIXED EFFECTS
FIXED EFFECTS ESTIMATOR
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
GOOD GOVERNANCE
GOVERNANCE INDICATOR
GOVERNANCE INDICATORS
GOVERNANCE QUALITY
GOVERNMENT CAPITAL
GOVERNMENT CONSUMPTION
GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
GOVERNMENT SIZE
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
GROWTH EQUATION
GROWTH LITERATURE
GROWTH MODEL
GROWTH PERFORMANCE
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
GROWTH REGRESSION
GROWTH REGRESSIONS
HEALTH CARE
HIGH TAXES
HUMAN CAPITAL
INCOME
INCOME LEVELS
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
INDIRECT APPROACH
INFLATION
INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY
INVESTMENT CLIMATE
LABOR FORCE
LONG TERM
LONG-RUN GROWTH
LONG-TERM GROWTH
LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES
MACROECONOMIC INSTABILITY
MACROECONOMIC STABILITY
MACROECONOMIC STABILIZATION
MARGINAL BENEFIT
MARGINAL BENEFIT OF EXPENDITURE
MARGINAL BENEFITS
MARGINAL COST
MARGINAL COST OF TAXATION
MARGINAL EFFECT
MARKET ECONOMY
MARKET FAILURE
MEMBER STATES
NATIONAL AUTHORITIES
NEGATIVE IMPACT
NET INVESTMENT
PER CAPITA GROWTH
PER CAPITA INCOME
POLICY AGENDA
POLICY REFORM
POLICY RESEARCH
POLICY VARIABLES
POLITICAL DYNAMICS
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRIVATE INVESTMENT
PRIVATE SECTOR
PROGRAM DESIGN
PUBLIC CAPITAL
PUBLIC CONSUMPTION
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES
PUBLIC FINANCE
PUBLIC GOODS
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
PUBLIC INVESTMENTS
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE
PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC SERVICE
PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY
PUBLIC SPENDING
REFORM PROCESS
REFORM PROGRAMS
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SECTOR ACTIVITIES
SERVICE DELIVERY
SIGNIFICANT EFFECT
SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE
SIZE OF GOVERNMENT
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL SPENDING
STRUCTURAL BREAK
STRUCTURAL REFORM
STRUCTURAL REFORMS
TAX ADMINISTRATION
TAX BURDEN
TAX POLICY
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
TOTAL SAMPLE
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
UNCERTAINTY
Pushak, Taras
Tiongson, Erwin R.
Varoudakis, Aristomene
Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004
relation Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4255
description This paper revisits the early empirical literature on economic growth in transition economies, with particular focus on fiscal policy variables-fiscal balance and the size of government. The baseline model uses a parsimonious specification, drawn from Fischer and Sahay (2000), of economic growth as a function of initial conditions, stabilization, liberalization, and structural reform. The paper expands the data used in previous analyses by up to 10 years and finds unambiguous evidence that fiscal balance matters for growth, while confirming other previous findings on the correlates of economic growth in transition economies. In addition, the paper extends the baseline model and explores potential sources of nonlinearities in the relationship between growth and public finance. A key finding is that determinants of growth may vary in relative importance, depending on the underlying institutional quality. The evidence indicates that there could be higher growth payoffs from macroeconomic stability and public expenditure in countries characterized by relatively better public sector governance as measured by relevant indicators. In addition, the size of government matters for growth in a nonlinear manner: Beyond indicative thresholds of expenditure levels, public spending has a negative impact, while at levels below the threshold, there is no measurable impact on economic growth.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Pushak, Taras
Tiongson, Erwin R.
Varoudakis, Aristomene
author_facet Pushak, Taras
Tiongson, Erwin R.
Varoudakis, Aristomene
author_sort Pushak, Taras
title Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004
title_short Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004
title_full Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004
title_fullStr Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004
title_full_unstemmed Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004
title_sort public finance, governance, and growth in transition economies : empirical evidence from 1992-2004
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/06/7726702/public-finance-governance-growth-transition-economies-empirical-evidence-1992-2004
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7415
_version_ 1764402004773306368
spelling okr-10986-74152021-04-23T14:02:33Z Public Finance, Governance, and Growth in Transition Economies : Empirical Evidence from 1992-2004 Pushak, Taras Tiongson, Erwin R. Varoudakis, Aristomene ACCOUNTING ADVERSE EFFECTS ALLOCATION ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES ANNUAL GROWTH ANNUAL GROWTH RATE BRIBES BUDGET CONSTRAINT BUREAUCRACY BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE CAPITAL STOCK CAUSAL EFFECT CONSENSUS DATA ANALYSIS DEPENDENT VARIABLE DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPING ECONOMIES DIRECT INVESTMENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OUTLOOK EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EMPIRICAL LITERATURE EMPIRICAL MODELS EMPIRICAL STUDIES EMPIRICAL WORK EXPENDITURE LEVELS EXPENDITURE POLICIES EXPENDITURE PROGRAMS FISCAL ADJUSTMENT FISCAL ADJUSTMENTS FISCAL BALANCE FISCAL CONSOLIDATION FISCAL DATA FISCAL DEFICITS FISCAL IMBALANCES FISCAL POLICY FISCAL POSITION FISCAL STABILITY FIXED EFFECTS FIXED EFFECTS ESTIMATOR FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT GOOD GOVERNANCE GOVERNANCE INDICATOR GOVERNANCE INDICATORS GOVERNANCE QUALITY GOVERNMENT CAPITAL GOVERNMENT CONSUMPTION GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS GOVERNMENT SIZE GOVERNMENT SPENDING GROWTH EQUATION GROWTH LITERATURE GROWTH MODEL GROWTH PERFORMANCE GROWTH RATE GROWTH RATES GROWTH REGRESSION GROWTH REGRESSIONS HEALTH CARE HIGH TAXES HUMAN CAPITAL INCOME INCOME LEVELS INDEPENDENT VARIABLES INDIRECT APPROACH INFLATION INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY INVESTMENT CLIMATE LABOR FORCE LONG TERM LONG-RUN GROWTH LONG-TERM GROWTH LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES MACROECONOMIC INSTABILITY MACROECONOMIC STABILITY MACROECONOMIC STABILIZATION MARGINAL BENEFIT MARGINAL BENEFIT OF EXPENDITURE MARGINAL BENEFITS MARGINAL COST MARGINAL COST OF TAXATION MARGINAL EFFECT MARKET ECONOMY MARKET FAILURE MEMBER STATES NATIONAL AUTHORITIES NEGATIVE IMPACT NET INVESTMENT PER CAPITA GROWTH PER CAPITA INCOME POLICY AGENDA POLICY REFORM POLICY RESEARCH POLICY VARIABLES POLITICAL DYNAMICS POVERTY REDUCTION PRIVATE INVESTMENT PRIVATE SECTOR PROGRAM DESIGN PUBLIC CAPITAL PUBLIC CONSUMPTION PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC EXPENDITURES PUBLIC FINANCE PUBLIC GOODS PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS PUBLIC INVESTMENT PUBLIC INVESTMENTS PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY PUBLIC SPENDING REFORM PROCESS REFORM PROGRAMS RELATIVE IMPORTANCE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SECTOR ACTIVITIES SERVICE DELIVERY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT SOCIAL SECURITY SOCIAL SPENDING STRUCTURAL BREAK STRUCTURAL REFORM STRUCTURAL REFORMS TAX ADMINISTRATION TAX BURDEN TAX POLICY TOTAL EXPENDITURE TOTAL EXPENDITURES TOTAL SAMPLE TRANSITION ECONOMIES UNCERTAINTY This paper revisits the early empirical literature on economic growth in transition economies, with particular focus on fiscal policy variables-fiscal balance and the size of government. The baseline model uses a parsimonious specification, drawn from Fischer and Sahay (2000), of economic growth as a function of initial conditions, stabilization, liberalization, and structural reform. The paper expands the data used in previous analyses by up to 10 years and finds unambiguous evidence that fiscal balance matters for growth, while confirming other previous findings on the correlates of economic growth in transition economies. In addition, the paper extends the baseline model and explores potential sources of nonlinearities in the relationship between growth and public finance. A key finding is that determinants of growth may vary in relative importance, depending on the underlying institutional quality. The evidence indicates that there could be higher growth payoffs from macroeconomic stability and public expenditure in countries characterized by relatively better public sector governance as measured by relevant indicators. In addition, the size of government matters for growth in a nonlinear manner: Beyond indicative thresholds of expenditure levels, public spending has a negative impact, while at levels below the threshold, there is no measurable impact on economic growth. 2012-06-07T17:22:52Z 2012-06-07T17:22:52Z 2007-06 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/06/7726702/public-finance-governance-growth-transition-economies-empirical-evidence-1992-2004 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7415 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4255 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research