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Legislative fractionalization and partisan shifts to the left increase the volatility of public energy R&D expenditures

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  • Baccini, Leonardo
  • Urpelainen, Johannes

Abstract

This article shows that legislative fractionalization and leftward (but not rightward) partisan shifts increase the volatility of public R&D expenditures in new energy technologies. We develop a highly accurate estimator for public energy R&D expenditures, and examine deviations from the estimated values using data for member states of the International Energy Agency, 1981-2007. Given that unpredictable fluctuation in public spending on new energy technology reduces the positive effect of such spending on innovation, our empirical analyses imply that countries with fractionalized legislatures can improve the performance of their energy technology programs through institutional mechanisms that reduce the volatility of public spending. Similarly, the results indicate that left-wing and right-wing governments can improve the performance of public technology programs through agreements that distribute gains in such a fashion that partisan shifts do not cause spending cuts. Contravening the conventional wisdom, we also find that public energy R&D is unusually stable in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Baccini, Leonardo & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2012. "Legislative fractionalization and partisan shifts to the left increase the volatility of public energy R&D expenditures," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 45571, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:45571
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/45571/
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bongsuk Sung & Woo-Yong Song, 2017. "Does Dynamic Efficiency of Public Policy Promote Export Prformance? Evidence from Bioenergy Technology Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, December.
    3. David Popp, 2015. "Using Scientific Publications to Evaluate Government R&D Spending: The Case of Energy," CESifo Working Paper Series 5442, CESifo.
    4. Iman Miremadi & Yadollah Saboohi, 2018. "Planning for Investment in Energy Innovation: Developing an Analytical Tool to Explore the Impact of Knowledge Flow," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(2), pages 7-19.
    5. Qin, Meng & Su, Yun Hsuan & Zhao, Zhengtang & Mirza, Nawazish, 2023. "The politics of climate: Does factionalism impede U.S. carbon neutrality?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 954-966.
    6. Juan Francisco De Negri & Simon Pezzutto & Sonia Gantioler & David Moser & Wolfram Sparber, 2020. "A Comprehensive Analysis of Public and Private Funding for Photovoltaics Research and Development in the European Union, Norway, and Turkey," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    7. Raphael Bointner & Simon Pezzutto & Gianluca Grilli & Wolfram Sparber, 2016. "Financing Innovations for the Renewable Energy Transition in Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-16, November.
    8. Brutschin, Elina & Fleig, Andreas, 2016. "Innovation in the energy sector – The role of fossil fuels and developing economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 27-38.
    9. Inkyoung Sun & So Young Kim, 2017. "Energy R&D towards Sustainability: A Panel Analysis of Government Budget for Energy R&D in OECD Countries (1974–2012)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Bointner, Raphael, 2014. "Innovation in the energy sector: Lessons learnt from R&D expenditures and patents in selected IEA countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 733-747.
    11. Raphael Bointner & Simon Pezzutto & Wolfram Sparber, 2016. "Scenarios of public energy research and development expenditures: financing energy innovation in Europe," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(4), pages 470-488, July.
    12. Gianluca ORSATTI, 2019. "Public R&D and green knowledge diffusion:\r\nEvidence from patent citation data," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2019-17, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    13. Maximilian Gasser & Simon Pezzutto & Wolfram Sparber & Eric Wilczynski, 2022. "Public Research and Development Funding for Renewable Energy Technologies in Europe: A Cross-Country Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-28, May.
    14. Castrejon-Campos, Omar & Aye, Lu & Hui, Felix Kin Peng, 2022. "Effects of learning curve models on onshore wind and solar PV cost developments in the USA," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    15. Gianluca Orsatti, 2024. "Government R&D and green technology spillovers: the Chernobyl disaster as a natural experiment," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 581-608, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public energy R&D; volatility; legislative politics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General

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