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The evolution and convergence of the government expenditure composition in the OECD countries: an analysis of the functional distribution

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  • Ismael Sanz

    (Group of European Economy-UCM & FUNCAS)

  • Francisco J. Velázquez

    (Group of European Economy-UCM & FUNCAS)

Abstract

The composition of the public expenditure affects the long-run growth rate (Barro, 1990, Devarajan, Swaroop and Zou, 1996). This paper has explored the existence of convergence in the structure of government expenditure by functions in the OECD countries for the period 1970-1998 and the perspectives of this process to persist in the future. The results obtained first through the similarity index and afterwards using the usual convergence indicators (ƒÒ, ƒã and ƒ×), adapted to the analysis of the breakdown of public expenditure, point out to the existence of a distribution approximation. Nevertheless, we have found that the majority of expenditures were near to the steady-state, which differs across countries. This reveals that there are some individual factors that impede the convergence to a single structure in the long run. This could be one of the explanations of the difference observed among economic growth rates in developed countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Ismael Sanz & Francisco J. Velázquez, 2001. "The evolution and convergence of the government expenditure composition in the OECD countries: an analysis of the functional distribution," Public Economics 0111005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwppe:0111005
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    Cited by:

    1. Ignacio Lago-Peñas & Santiago Lago-Peñas, "undated". "The Composition Of Public Spending And The Nationalization Of Party Systems In Western Europe," Working Papers 8-06 Classification-JEL :, Instituto de Estudios Fiscales.
    2. Richard Kneller & Norman Gemmell, 2002. "Fiscal Policy, Growth and Convergence in Europe," European Economy Group Working Papers 14, European Economy Group.
    3. Sourafel Girma, 2005. "Absorptive Capacity and Productivity Spillovers from FDI: A Threshold Regression Analysis," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 67(3), pages 281-306, June.
    4. Lena Maleševic Perovic & Silvia Golem & Maja Mihaljevic Kosor, 2016. "Convergence in Government Spending Components in EU15: A Spatial Econometric Perspective," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 18(42), pages 240-240, May.
    5. Jaime Turrion & Carmela Martin, 2003. "Eastern Enlargement of the European Union and Foreign Direct Investment Adjustments," European Economy Group Working Papers 24, European Economy Group.
    6. Phan Thi Hang Nga & Pham Minh Tien, 2024. "The impact of public expenditure on economic growth in Vietnamese localities: Research in the context of the impact of Covid-19," HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE - ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY, vol. 14(1), pages 50-64.
    7. Jorge Crespo & Carmela Martin & Francisco Javier Velázquez, 2002. "International technology diffusion through imports and its impact on economic growth," European Economy Group Working Papers 12, European Economy Group.
    8. Greenaway, David & Foster, Neil, 2002. "North-South Trade, Knowledge Spillovers and Growth," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 17, pages 650-670.
    9. Dan Lupu & Mihai Bogdan Petrisor & Ana Bercu & Mihaela Tofan, 2018. "The Impact of Public Expenditures on Economic Growth: A Case Study of Central and Eastern European Countries," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 552-570, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    convergence; composition of public expenditures; funtions of the government;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • F49 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Other
    • R38 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Government Policy

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