How Does Political Instability Affect Economic Growth?
NIPE Working Paper No. 5/2010
37 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2010
There are 3 versions of this paper
How Does Political Instability Affect Economic Growth?
How Does Political Instability Affect Economic Growth?
How Does Political Instability Affect Economic Growth?
Date Written: February 27, 2010
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to empirically determine the effects of political instability on economic growth. Using the system-GMM estimator for linear dynamic panel data models on a sample covering up to 169 countries, and 5-year periods from 1960 to 2004, we find that higher degrees of political instability are associated with lower growth rates of GDP per capita. Regarding the channels of transmission, we find that political instability adversely affects growth by lowering the rates of productivity growth and, to a smaller degree, physical and human capital accumulation. Finally, economic freedom and ethnic homogeneity are beneficial to growth, while democracy may have a small negative effect.
Keywords: Economic Growth, Political Instability, Growth Accounting, Productivity
JEL Classification: O43, O47
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