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The Efficient Corruption Hypothesis and the Dynamics between Economic Freedom, Corruption, and National Income

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  • Joshua Hall

    (West Virginia University, Department of Economics)

  • John Levendis

    (Loyola University New Orleans, Department of Economics)

Abstract

Income, economic freedom, and corruption interact in complex ways as all three variables are arguably endogenous. We explicitly model this endogeneity using a panel VAR framework. The pVAR models we estimate are able to explicitly model this endogeneity better than the single-equation panel data models previously used in the literature. Using data on corruption and income from the World Bank and economic freedom from the Fraser Institute, we provide evidence that corruption and the absence of economic freedom have a negative effect on national income.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Hall & John Levendis, 2017. "The Efficient Corruption Hypothesis and the Dynamics between Economic Freedom, Corruption, and National Income," Working Papers 17-06, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    • Handle: RePEc:wvu:wpaper:17-06
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    Cited by:

    1. Murphy, Ryan H., 2020. "The Quality of Legal Systems and Property Rights by State: A Ranking and Their Implications for Economic Freedom," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 50(1), April.
    2. Yingying Shi, 2024. "Corruption, technical efficiency and total factor productivity growth: empirical evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 1-24, December.
    3. Kashif Islam & Ahmad Raza Bilal & Zeeshan Saeed & Samina Sardar & Muhammad Husnain Kamboh, 2023. "Impact of government integrity and corruption on sustainable stock market development: linear and nonlinear evidence from Pakistan," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2529-2556, August.
    4. Ryan H. Murphy, 2021. "Plausibly exogenous causes of economic freedom," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 85-105, April.
    5. Olalekan C. Okunlola & Olumide A. Ayetigbo, 2022. "Economic Freedom and Human Development in ECOWAS: Does Political-Institutional Strength Play a Role?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 1751-1785, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corruption; regulation; institutions; economic freedom;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption

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