Can trade liberalization have a permanent affect on output levels, and more importantly, does it have an impact on steady-state growth rates? The model emphasizes the role that knowledge spillovers emanating from heightened trade can have on income convergence and growth rates during transition...

A major question for the comparative analysis of industrial relations and labour market institutions has been the extent to which labour laws in different countries have converged or diverged over time. A second question is whether any convergence between labour law systems is associated with...

This paper studies the evolution of worldwide military spending during 1970-2018. It finds thatmilitary spending in relation to GDP is converging, but into three separate groups of countries. Inthe largest group, responsible for 90 percent of worldwide spending, outlays have remainedstubbornly...

This chapter reviews the literature that tries to explain the disparity and variation of GDP per worker and GDP per capita across countries and across time. There are many potential explanations for the different patterns of development across countries, including differences in luck, raw...

This paper investigates the major drivers of the public debt growth in 184 countries. Our analysis consists in a cross-country survey, which is conducted on the basis of the improved compilation of datasets on the central government debt for 2013. In order to differentiate between...

Exemplifying the negative consequences of a variety of inappropriate fiscal and social policies, Zimbabwe has failed to realize its potential to become a strong, independent state, going from the admiration and envy of its neighbours to near-complete collapse and abject poverty. Economic...

Zimbabwe's prolonged crisis illustrates the consequences of short-sighted and inappropriate economic policies, as it continues to fail to realize its potential to become a strong, independent state. Triggered in part by the Mugabe government's decision to ignore fiscal constraints, and...