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Effects of Economic Freedom on Growth and the Environment - Implications for Cross-Country Analysis

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  • Lundström, Susanna

    (Department of Economics, School of Economics and Commercial Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of specific economic freedom categories on both economic growth and the environment, and present some important considerations for cross-country regressions. First, there is a survey of arguments for positive as well as negative effects of economic liberalization. Measurement problems are then considered followed by a number of model specification issues. Sensitivity tests and potential econometric problems are also discussed. The main conclusion is that decomposition is important since different economic freedoms can be expected to have different effects on growth and the environment, and are dependent on different interacting factors. The theoretical insights have a crucial role when it comes to selecting what empirical issues to take into account since there is a limit to the number of issues possible to consider. Due to the complexity of the links, a lot of effort should also be devoted to sensitivity tests.

Suggested Citation

  • Lundström, Susanna, 2003. "Effects of Economic Freedom on Growth and the Environment - Implications for Cross-Country Analysis," Working Papers in Economics 115, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0115
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    Cited by:

    1. Sokolovska, Olena & Sokolovskyi, Dmytro, 2016. "Optimization of government trade behavior and its implication for small developing economy (the case of Ukraine)," MPRA Paper 71983, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Olena SOKOLOVSKA, 2016. "Trade freedom and revenue from trade taxes: a cross-country analysis," Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University. Series 5. Economics Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Серия 5. Экономика, CyberLeninka;Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет», issue 2, pages 52-67.
    3. Olena Sokolovska & Dmytro Sokolovskyi, 2017. "Efficient Government Trade Behavior and Its Implication for Small Developing Economy: The Case of Ukraine," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 64-81.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cross-country regressions; Economic freedom; Economic growth; Environmental quality; Institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • N50 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • P00 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - General - - - General

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