An analytical solution to the lab-equipment growth model (Rivera-Batiz and Romer,1991) with an exogenous imitation rate is presented and applied to study the policy tradeoff between weaker levels of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection yielding more consumption today, and stronger...

The combination of stagnant growth and high levels of income inequality renewed the debate about whether a more even distribution of income can spur economic activity. This paper tests for cross-country convergence in income inequality and estimates its impact on economic growth with a...

This paper explores the theoretical channels by which financial crises might have an impact on long-run growth. By exploiting occasionally binding financial constraints, we produce a model that generates endogenous crisis episodes featuring permanent falls in productivity, without generating...

Analysis of the Uruguay Round is extended by quantifying the impact of the TRIPs agreement. The static costs of raising the standards of patent protection are captured by the transfers of income between countries, with the majority of countries estimated to make net payments abroad, the United...

This chapter surveys the literature on international trade and the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the global economy. The discussion is organized around the major questions in the field. How does openness to trade affect national incentives for patent protection? What is...

This paper investigates the effects of skill bias technical change at the frontier on the evolution of output and human capital in the adopting countries. The framework introduces a novel feature by connecting the direction of technology adoption to a sequential process of skill accumulation,...

What is the relationship between inequality and growth? This question has occupied and fascinated social scientists for more than a century. This article critically reviews the recent empirical and theoretical literature on the complex interplay between inequality and economic growth. Inequality...