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An empirical analysis of competing explanations of urban primacy: Evidence from Asia and the Americas

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  • Moomaw, Ronald L.
  • Alwosabi, Mohammed A.

Abstract

This paper tests the relationship between primacy and economic development for countries in Asia and the Americas. It tests explanations for primacy drawn from several social-science disciplines--demography, economics, geography, political science, and sociology. The study is one of the first to use panel-data estimators for the tests. Economic and domestic political variables are found to be important determinants of primacy. In particular, rent-seeking and dictatorial governments are associated with primacy, but the association exists independent of the level of economic development. The implication from dependency and world-system theories that current international economic interactions promote primacy is not supported. It also examines the hypothesis that primacy first increases and then decreases with GDP per capita.

Suggested Citation

  • Moomaw, Ronald L. & Alwosabi, Mohammed A., 2003. "An empirical analysis of competing explanations of urban primacy: Evidence from Asia and the Americas," ZEI Working Papers B 19-2003, University of Bonn, ZEI - Center for European Integration Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zeiwps:b192003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Giray Gozgor & Baris Kablamaci, 2015. "What happened to urbanization in the globalization era? An empirical examination for poor emerging countries," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 55(2), pages 533-553, December.
    3. Michel DIMOU, 2008. "Urbanisation, Agglomeration Effects And Regional Inequality : An Introduction," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 27, pages 7-12.
    4. Frick, Susanne A. & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2018. "Change in urban concentration and economic growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 156-170.
    5. Maurice CATIN & Saïd HANCHANE & Abdelhak KAMAL, 2008. "URBANISATION, PRIMATIE ET eTAPES DE DeVELOPPEMENT : EXISTE-T-IL UNE COURBE EN CLOCHE ?," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 27, pages 83-108.
    6. Karayalcin, Cem & Ulubaşoğlu, Mehmet Ali, 2020. "Romes without empires: Urban concentration, political competition, and economic development," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    7. Derbali Amani & Farhi Abdallah, 2022. "Demographic Analysis of the Makkah Province for the Purpose of Evaluating the Balance of the Urban System," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 41(2), pages 49-65, June.
    8. Karayalcin, Cem & Ulubasoglu, Mehmet Ali, 2009. "Romes without empires: urban concentration, political competition, and economic growth," Working Papers eco_2009_18, Deakin University, Department of Economics.
    9. Marius Brülhart, 2011. "The spatial effects of trade openness: a survey," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 147(1), pages 59-83, April.
    10. Kyung-Min Nam, 2017. "Is spatial distribution of China’s population excessively unequal? A cross-country comparison," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 59(2), pages 453-474, September.
    11. Maurice CATIN & Abdelhak KAMAL, 2011. "Urbanisation, Inegalites Urbaines Et Developpement En Turquie (1950-2000)," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 34, pages 141-162.
    12. Robert M Anthony & Kristopher K Robison, 2018. "Forced urbanisation: A cross-national assessment of the effects of intranational political violence on a nation’s largest cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(13), pages 2923-2945, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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