A Theory of Economic Growth


Book Description

This book provides an in-depth treatment of the overlapping generations model in economics incorporating production.




The Dynamics of Socio-Economic Development


Book Description

Why are poor countries poor and rich countries rich? How are wealth and poverty related to changes in nutrition, health, life expectancy, education, population growth and politics? This modern, non-technical 2005 introduction to development studies explores the dynamics of socio-economic development and stagnation in developing countries. Taking a quantitative and comparative approach to contemporary debates within their broader context, Szirmai examines historical, institutional, demographic, sociological, political and cultural factors. Key chapters focus on economic growth, technological change, industrialisation, agricultural development, and consider social dimensions such as population growth, health and education. Each chapter contains comparative statistics on trends from a sample of twenty-nine developing countries. This rich statistical database allows students to strengthen their understanding of comparative development experiences. Assuming no prior knowledge of economics the book is suited for use in inter-disciplinary development studies programmes as well as economics courses, and will also interest practitioners pursuing careers in developing countries.




Socio-Economic Development


Book Description

Taking a comparative and multidisciplinary approach, this textbook offers a non-technical introduction to the dynamics of socio-economic development and stagnation.




On the Dynamics of Economic Growth


Book Description

This paper examines the dynamics of economic growth. First, it demonstrates that the standard neoclassical growth model with constant elasticity of intertemporal substitution is not consistent with the patterns of development we observe in the real world, once we consider the initial conditions. Second, it examines an alternative growth model, which is consistent with endogenously determined initial conditions and also generates dynamics that are in accord with the historical patterns of growth rates, capital flows, savings rates and labor supply. The alternative model is a generalized version of the neoclassical growth model, with increasing rates of intertemporal substitution due to a Stone-Geary type of utility.




Economic Growth, second edition


Book Description

The long-awaited second edition of an important textbook on economic growth—a major revision incorporating the most recent work on the subject. This graduate level text on economic growth surveys neoclassical and more recent growth theories, stressing their empirical implications and the relation of theory to data and evidence. The authors have undertaken a major revision for the long-awaited second edition of this widely used text, the first modern textbook devoted to growth theory. The book has been expanded in many areas and incorporates the latest research. After an introductory discussion of economic growth, the book examines neoclassical growth theories, from Solow-Swan in the 1950s and Cass-Koopmans in the 1960s to more recent refinements; this is followed by a discussion of extensions to the model, with expanded treatment in this edition of heterogenity of households. The book then turns to endogenous growth theory, discussing, among other topics, models of endogenous technological progress (with an expanded discussion in this edition of the role of outside competition in the growth process), technological diffusion, and an endogenous determination of labor supply and population. The authors then explain the essentials of growth accounting and apply this framework to endogenous growth models. The final chapters cover empirical analysis of regions and empirical evidence on economic growth for a broad panel of countries from 1960 to 2000. The updated treatment of cross-country growth regressions for this edition uses the new Summers-Heston data set on world income distribution compiled through 2000.




The Dynamics of Korean Economic Development


Book Description

This study presents a perspective on Korea's economic development since the 1960s in the light of domestic and international changes that are forcing Korea to make far-reaching adjustments in its economic policies. Soon Cho is a former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea.




The Dynamics of Deforestation and Economic Growth in the Brazilian Amazon


Book Description

A multi-disciplinary team of authors analyze the economics of Brazilian deforestation using a large data set of ecological and economic variables. They survey the most up to date work in this field and present their own dynamic and spatial econometric analysis based on municipality level panel data spanning the entire Brazilian Amazon from 1970 to 1996. By observing the dynamics of land use change over such a long period the team is able to provide quantitative estimates of the long-run economic costs and benefits of both land clearing and government policies such as road building. The authors find that some government policies, such as road paving in already highly settled areas, are beneficial both for economic development and for the preservation of forest, while other policies, such as the construction of unpaved roads through virgin areas, stimulate wasteful land uses to the detriment of both economic growth and forest cover.




The Dynamics of Growth in Emerging Economies


Book Description

How can Turkey increase its medium- and long-term growth potential? Despite episodes of fast growth, this has become a vital question for the Turkish economy, in order to avoid being stuck in a middle-income trap. There has been an increase in the number of studies presenting growth in Turkey and quantifying the sources of economic growth, however, due to the difference in the main underlying assumptions and the time period covered in these studies, the results differ. The second strand of literature on growth in Turkey identifies the relative underperformance of the Turkish economy by developing models with microeconomic foundations. Given the fact that there are a large number of studies investigating the macro dynamics of growth in Turkey, the book’s unique focus on the "neglected" issues in growth discussions closes the gap in the existing literature. It addresses the micro, macro, regional, and gender aspects, the environment–energy–growth nexus, as well as the microeconomic dynamics of growth. It also analyses the other significant determinants of long run growth in Turkey such as import dependency and saving-investment decision. The authors provide a macro overview of all of the precluded subjects in order to evaluate them in relation to one other, as well as to derive policy conclusions from them. This book primarily targets academics as well as graduate and undergraduate social sciences and humanities students both in Turkey and other countries. It is also a must read for researchers and policy makers not only in Turkey but also in other developing economies and is of interest to specialists of non-governmental and non-profit organizations.




Structural Economic Dynamics


Book Description

This book is a theoretical investigation of the influence of human learning on the development through time of a 'pure labour' economy. The theory proposed is a simple one, but aims to grasp the essential features of all industrial economies. Economists have long known that two basic phenomena lie at the root of long-term economic movements in industrial societies: capital accumulation and technical progress. Attention has been concentrated on the former. In this book, by contrast, technical progress is assigned the central role. Within a multi-sector framework, the author examines the structural dynamics of prices, production and employment (implied by differentiated rates of productivity growth and expansion of demand) against a background of 'natural' relations. He also considers a number of institutional problems. Institutional and social learning, know-how, and the diffusion of knowledge emerge as the decisive factors accounting for the success and failure of industrial societies.




The Growth Spiral


Book Description

This book develops a new theory of the modern economy. Conventional economic theory is (still) based on an essentially static notion of equilibrium. In contrast, this book offers an analysis of the economic process based on a truly dynamic approach. It understands modern economic activity as manifesting itself in a growth spiral. There are two main drivers of the dynamics of this spiral: steady money creation in the banking system, on the one hand; and the continuous inflow of energy and raw materials through the exploitation of natural resources, on the other. Both driving forces are generally neglected by the conventional theory. Understanding their role is absolutely essential for preventing our economy from being more and more exposed to financial and ecological crises. This book offers important insights about the functioning of the modern economy and addresses the specialist as well as the interested lay reader.