Robust Multiple Regimes in Growth Volatility

In this paper we uncover growth volatility regimes and identify their robust determinants using a large international panel of countries. In doing so we propose a novel empirical methodology that allows us to simultaneously deal with two key elements of model uncertainty, namely theory uncertainty and parameter heterogeneity, by unifying two recent econometric techniques: Bayesian Model Averaging and Threshold Regression. We find ample evidence of parameter heterogeneity and model uncertainty. Our results highlight the role of Ethnic Fractionalization, Institutions, Financial Development, Health, and Geography.