Cross-Country Growth Comparison: Theory to Empirics

This paper reviews the cross-country record of economic growth, using as organizing framework how economic theory has guided that empirical analysis. The paper argues that recent studies of economic growth - both empirical and theoretical - distinguish from previous work in three distinct ways: 1. An explicit focus on cross-country growth and development experiences; 2. Improved, more extensive cross-country data; 3. A heightened need, driven by real-world topicality, for understanding the role of knowledge and technology in economic growth.