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Reform Redux: Measurement, Determinants and Reversals

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  • Nauro F. Campos
  • Roman Horvath

Abstract

What do we know about the effects of structural reforms? One main reason the answer may be “little†is inadequate measurement. In this paper we put forward improved measures of economic liberalization across countries over time. We show that structural reforms, carefully measured, follow richer dynamics (than those from existing indexes) which are very closely linked to the theoretical work. For example, we find FDI inflows reduce the likelihood of privatization reversals and labour strikes increase that of price liberalization reversals. We also find that our new measures, in standard specifications, have larger and more precisely estimated impacts on growth.

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  • Nauro F. Campos & Roman Horvath, 2009. "Reform Redux: Measurement, Determinants and Reversals," Working Papers 2009/6, Czech National Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:cnb:wpaper:2009/6
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    Cited by:

    1. Fidrmuc, Jan & Karaja, Elira, 2013. "Uncertainty, informational spillovers and policy reform: A gravity model approach," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 182-192.
    2. Paul van den Noord & Björn Döhring & Sven Langedijk & João Nogueira Martins & Lucio Pench & Heliodoro Temprano-Arroyo & Michael Thiel, 2008. "The Evolution of Economic Governance in EMU," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 328, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    3. Jain, Sanjay & Majumdar, Sumon & Mukand, Sharun W, 2014. "Walk the line: Conflict, state capacity and the political dynamics of reform," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 150-166.
    4. Ian Babetskii & Nauro Campos, 2006. "Does Reform Work? An Econometric Examination of the Reform-Growth Puzzle," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp870, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    5. Coricelli, Fabrizio & Campos, Nauro, 2009. "Financial liberalization and democracy: The role of reform reversals," CEPR Discussion Papers 7393, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Campos, Nauro F. & Horváth, Roman, 2012. "Reform redux: Measurement, determinants and growth implications," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 227-237.
    7. Dean Jolliffe, 2007. "Earnings, Schooling, and Economic Reform: Econometric Evidence From Hungary (1986--2004)," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 21(3), pages 509-526, July.
    8. Nauro Campos & Fabrizio Coricelli, 2010. "Financial Liberalization, Elite Heterogeneity and Political Reform," PSE - G-MOND WORKING PAPERS halshs-00967428, HAL.
    9. Christopher Gerry & Tomasz Mickiewicz, 2008. "Inequality, democracy and taxation: Lessons from the post-communist transition," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(1), pages 89-111.
    10. Nauro F. Campos & Paul De Grauwe & Yuemei Ji, 2017. "Structural Reforms, Growth and Inequality: An Overview of Theory, Measurement and Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 6812, CESifo.
    11. Jan Fidrmuc & Elira Karaja & Ariane Tichit, 2012. "Reform, Uncertainty and Spillovers - A Gravity Model Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series 3745, CESifo.
    12. Horvath, Roman & Petrovski, Dragan, 2013. "International stock market integration: Central and South Eastern Europe compared," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 81-91.
    13. Tarabar, Danko, 2017. "Culture, democracy, and market reforms: Evidence from transition countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 456-480.
    14. Campos, Nauro F. & Horváth, Roman, 2012. "On the reversibility of structural reforms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 217-219.
    15. Selen Guerin & Stefano Manzocchi, 2009. "Political regime and FDI from advanced to emerging countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 145(1), pages 75-91, April.
    16. Tom Coupe, 2010. "Female Ministers, Governance and Reforms," Discussion Papers 34, Kyiv School of Economics.
    17. Artur Radziwill & Pawel Smietanka, 2009. "EU's Eastern Neighbours: Institutional Harmonisation and Potential Growth Bonus," CASE Network Studies and Analyses 0386, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Structural reforms; reform reversals; price liberalization; trade liberalization; privatization; political economy.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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