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Can a Government Enhance Long-Run Growth by Changing the Composition of Public Expenditure?

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  • Mr. Santiago Acosta Ormaechea
  • Atsuyoshi Morozumi

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of public expenditure reallocations on long-run growth. To do this, we assemble a new dataset based on the IMF’s GFS yearbook for the period 1970-2010 and 56 countries (14 low-, 16 medium-, and 26 high-income countries). Using dynamic panel GMM estimators, we find that a reallocation involving a rise in education spending has a positive and statistically robust effect on growth, when the compensating factor remains unspecified or when this is associated with an offsetting reduction in social protection spending. We also find that public capital spending relative to current spending appears to be associated with higher growth, yet results are non-robust in this latter case.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Santiago Acosta Ormaechea & Atsuyoshi Morozumi, 2013. "Can a Government Enhance Long-Run Growth by Changing the Composition of Public Expenditure?," IMF Working Papers 2013/162, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2013/162
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    2. Branimir Jovanovic, 2017. "Growth forecast errors and government investment and consumption multipliers," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 83-107, January.
    3. Nihal Bayraktar & Blanca Moreno-Dodson, 2018. "Public Expenditures And Growth In A Monetary Union: The Case Of Waemu," Eurasian Journal of Economics and Finance, Eurasian Publications, vol. 6(1), pages 107-132.
    4. Atsuyoshi Morozumi & Francisco José Veiga, 2014. "Public spending and growth: the role of institutions," NIPE Working Papers 11/2014, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    5. Kudrin, Alexey & Sokolov, Ilya, 2017. "Fiscal maneuver and restructuring of the Russian economy," Russian Journal of Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 221-239.
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    7. Kotera, Go & Okada, Keisuke, 2017. "How does democratization affect the composition of government expenditure?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 145-159.
    8. Ardanaz, Martín & Cavallo, Eduardo A. & Izquierdo, Alejandro & Puig, Jorge, 2021. "The Output Effects of Fiscal Consolidations: Does Spending Composition Matter?," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 11857, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Mwamkonko, Mussa Ally, 2021. "Can Governments Enhance Long-run Growth by Reallocating Public Expenditure? Empirical Evidence from Tanzania," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 9(2), April.
    10. Kudrin, Alexey & Sokolov, Ilya, 2017. "Fiscal maneuver and restructuring of the Russian economy," Russian Journal of Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 221-239.
    11. Karim Barhoumi & Reda Cherif & Mr. Nooman Rebei, 2016. "Stochastic Trends, Debt Sustainability and Fiscal Policy," IMF Working Papers 2016/059, International Monetary Fund.
    12. Barhoumi, Karim & Cherif, Reda & Rebei, Nooman, 2018. "Stochastic trends and fiscal policy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 256-267.

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