Private-order market institutions founded on trust-based relational contracts suffer adverse selection and moral hazard problems, while public-order market institutions have a limited capacity to enforce contracts. I model agent selection between contract enforcement institutions and demonstrate...

The paper investigates how efficiency of business environment and corruption (informal payments and state capture) affect the microeconomic performance of firms. The novelty of the paper is to look at these effects in the interaction with the firm ownership. We use firm-level micro data...

This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the volume of the Non-Observed Economy (NOE) in Portugal, by estimating, based on MIMIC models (multiple indicators multiple causes), its path in the period 1977-2008. On the one hand, given the influence of the tax burden, the burden of...

Are policies pre-determined by political institutions? The recently passed economic partnership agreement between Japan and the Philippines (JPEPA) was fought fiercely between supporters such as the government, business and academe and the opposition composed of civil society, academe and other...

The paper estimates the Portuguese Shadow Economy (SE) from 1977 to 2004 and tests the statistical relationships between the SE and other economic variables. In order to carry out the econometric analysis, a multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model with means and intercepts is applied....

This paper examines the impact of trade liberalizations on government revenues. Using a new dataset on tax revenues for 130 countries between 1792 and 2006 we find that on average countries were able to recover the tax revenues lost by liberalizing trade by using other sources of revenue. There...

To evaluate how undeclared work is being tackled in Croatia this paper reports an e-survey and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in Croatia. It is revealed that, compared with the European Economic Area countries, Croatia has a weak institutional infrastructure for tackling undeclared...

This paper examines the indirect role the IMF plays in combating corruption in the Baltic and CIS countries by promoting structural reforms that help improve economic governance and thus reduce opportunities for rent-seeking behavior. The analysis draws on examples of actual experience with...

We estimate that the Unobserved Economy (UnEc) share in Portuguese GDP rose to a maximum of 34.37% in 2022. The results suggest that cutting the tax burden and improving the efficacity of social benefits could reduce UnEc and foster inclusive growth. The rising UnEc share MIMIC estimates found...

Economic freedom and economic growth can be connected in most countries, but it is often necessary to specify those aspects of economic freedom that can foster economic growth. This paper examines the nexus between economic freedom and economic growth in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)...