On the Efficacy of Reforms: Policy Tinkering, Institutional Change and Entrepreneurship
40 Pages Posted: 21 Jun 2004
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On the Efficacy of Reforms: Policy Tinkering, Institutional Change, and Entrepreneurship
Date Written: June 2004
Abstract
We analyse the interplay of policy reform and entrepreneurship in a model where investment decisions and policy outcomes are both subject to uncertainty. The production costs of non-traditional activities are unknown and can only be discovered by entrepreneurs who make sunk investments. The policy-maker has access to two strategies: 'policy tinkering,' which corresponds to a new draw from a pre-existing policy regime, and 'institutional reform,' which corresponds to a draw from a different regime and imposes an adjustment cost on incumbent firms. Tinkering and institutional reform both have their respective advantages. Institutional reforms work best in settings where entrepreneurial activity is weak, while it is likely to produce disappointing outcomes where the cost discovery process is vibrant. We present cross-country evidence that strongly supports such a conditional relationship.
Keywords: Growth
JEL Classification: O10, O40
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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