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Is Public Capital Productive in Europe?

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  • Jérôme Creel

    (OFCE - Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po)

  • Gwenaelle Poilon

    (OFCE - Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po)

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of whether and by how much public investment or public capital can enhance economic performance. In comparison with the literature on the subject, we apply many different methodologies to answer these questions. A VAR model (for France, Italy, Germany, the UK and the USA), a panel composed of 6 European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands) and a regional panel (French regions) are therefore estimated. Public investment is shown to be a significant determinant of output; this is also true for public capital but to a lesser extent than public investment with a VAR methodology. The size of the estimated coefficient is also more realistic than those obtained in the literature. This empirical result confirms that the focus of some economists on safeguarding the level of public investment is not misplaced. The debate on the introduction of a "golden rule of public finance" in EMU is legitimate.

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  • Jérôme Creel & Gwenaelle Poilon, 2006. "Is Public Capital Productive in Europe?," Working Papers hal-03607615, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-03607615
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-03607615
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    Cited by:

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    2. Jerome Creel & Gwenaelle Poilon, 2008. "Is public capital productive in Europe?," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(6), pages 673-691.
    3. Pedro R. D. Bom & Jenny Ligthart, 2008. "How Productive is Public Capital? A Meta-Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 2206, CESifo.
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    6. Khanna, Rupika & Sharma, Chandan, 2021. "Does infrastructure stimulate total factor productivity? A dynamic heterogeneous panel analysis for Indian manufacturing industries," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 59-73.
    7. António Afonso & Jorge Caiado & Omar Al. Kanaan, 2024. "Public and Private Investments: A VAR Analysis of Their Impact on Economic Growth in 18 Advanced Economies," Working Papers REM 2024/0350, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    8. Pedro R.D. Bom & Jenny E. Ligthart, 2014. "What Have We Learned From Three Decades Of Research On The Productivity Of Public Capital?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 889-916, December.
    9. J. F. M. De Jong & M. Ferdinandusse & J. Funda, 2018. "Public capital in the 21st century: as productive as ever?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(51), pages 5543-5560, November.
    10. James Heintz, 2010. "The impact of public capital on the US private economy: new evidence and analysis," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 619-632.
    11. Mohammed N. Abu Alfoul & Ayman Hassan Bazhair & Ibrahim N. Khatatbeh & Adam G. Arian & Mahmoud N. Abu Al-Foul, 2024. "The Effect of Education on Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Do Institutions Matter?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, November.
    12. Linus Mattauch & Jan Siegmeier & Ottmar Edenhofer & Felix Creutzig, 2013. "Financing Public Capital through Land Rent Taxation: A Macroeconomic Henry George Theorem," CESifo Working Paper Series 4280, CESifo.
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    15. Sergio Jiménez Ramírez & Jaime Sanaú Villarroya, 2011. "Infraestructuras y productividad industrial en Colombia," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, December.
    16. Carmen D. Ã lvarez-Albelo, 2018. "A calibration of the output elasticity of public capital," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(2), pages 761-771.
    17. Cheam Chai Li & Rosli Mahmood & Hussin Abdullah & Ong Soon Chuan, 2013. "Economic Growth, Tourism and Selected Macroeconomic Variables: A Triangular Causal Relationship in Malaysia," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 7(2), pages 185-206, May.
    18. Valter Di Giacinto & Giacinto Micucci & Pasqualino Montanaro, 2012. "The Macroeconomic Impact of Infrastructures: A Literature Review and Empirical Analysis on the Case of Italy," QA - Rivista dell'Associazione Rossi-Doria, Associazione Rossi Doria, issue 1, March.
    19. Pedro R.D. Bom & Jenny E. Ligthart, 2009. "How Productive is Public Capital? A Meta-Regression Analysis," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0912, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    20. J. F. M. De Jong & M. Ferdinandusse & J. Funda, 2018. "Public capital in the 21st century: as productive as ever?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(51), pages 5543-5560, November.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    EMU; public investment; VAR model; UEM; investissement public; modèle VAR;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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