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Institutions and growth: the times-series and cross-section evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

JAIME ROS*
Affiliation:
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA and UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

Abstract:

In his comprehensive analysis of the relationship between institutions and economic growth, Ha-Joon Chang, in his article ‘Institutions and Economic Development: Theory, Policy and History’, reviews the empirical evidence on this relationship emphasizing the contrast between the conclusions that one can derive from the time-series evidence and the claims often made in favor of ‘liberalized institutions’ based on the results of cross-section studies. Does the time-series evidence contradict the results of cross-section studies regarding the relationship between institutions and growth? In this comment, I argue that in stressing the contrast between these two kinds of evidence, Chang falls short of a full criticism, consistent with his theoretical analysis, of cross-section studies while at the same time failing to infer what the time-series evidence really shows.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The JOIE Foundation 2011

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References

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