Economic Geography of Human Development: Stratified Growth in Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala and Peru

51 Pages Posted: 22 Oct 2008 Last revised: 3 Jan 2015

See all articles by David Mayer-Foulkes

David Mayer-Foulkes

Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) - Division of Economics; UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latinamerica

Date Written: October 21, 2008

Abstract

This article begins by constructing a model of stratified and divergent economic growth integrating economic geography, human development and endogenous technological change. Even in the presence of perfect capital, goods, and labor markets, economic geography and local governance can lead to stratification and divergence. The article then shows that early child development (ECD) determinants include both individual and local indicators of regional macroeconomic wellbeing, publicly provided goods, and private goods, through 43 regions of Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, and Peru. The inequity impact of these various goods is quantified using a concentration index decomposition. Regions attracting migration have experienced higher ECD, and employment is key for ECD. The intergenerational dynamics of mean regional female height for age z-score (HAZ) are stratified and absolutely divergent. Backward regions lag four generations behind advanced regions at the current rate of HAZ change.

Keywords: Human development, economic geography, stratified economic growth, early child development, Latin America, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Peru

JEL Classification: I0, I3, O1, O5, R1

Suggested Citation

Mayer-Foulkes, David, Economic Geography of Human Development: Stratified Growth in Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala and Peru (October 21, 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1287952 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1287952

David Mayer-Foulkes (Contact Author)

Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) - Division of Economics ( email )

Carretera Mexico Toluca 3655
01210 Mexico, D.F.
Mexico
+52 55 5727 9839 (Phone)
+52 55 5727 9878 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.cide.edu/investigador/profile.php?IdInvestigador=25

UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latinamerica

10833 Le Conte Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90095
United States
(310) 825-7354 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://blumcenter.ucla.edu/

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
241
Abstract Views
2,054
Rank
230,741
PlumX Metrics