En este trabajo se presenta un análisis comparativo y econométrico de la competitividad en los países en desarrollo y se indican sus determinantes y fuentes de variación. Se utiliza la metodología de análisis envolvente de datos para generar medidas de competitividad. Se obtienen los determinantes de la competitividad mediante el empleo de un modelo Tobit sobre la base del enfoque de competitividad sistémica. Visto el bajo nivel medio de competitividad, los principales resultados indican que gran parte de los países de la muestra mejoren en términos de asignación de recursos. Además de factores empresariales como la innovación y la sofisticación del ambiente de negocios, algunos aspectos estructurales, como el tamaño del mercado y la calidad de la demanda, y factores sistémicos como la infraestructura, la salud, la educación, la capacitación de la mano de obra y el ambiente macroeconómico, son condiciones importantes para aumentar la competitividad de los países emergentes.
A broad literature has indicated the essential role of power infrastructure in reducing income inequality. However, it is uncertain whether this relationship remains in scenarios with heterogeneities in terms of provision, quality, and access to electricity. This article intends to contribute to the literature by evaluating, in light of the Brazilian reality, how provision, quality, and the interaction between these two characteristics affects income inequality. To account for possible reverse causality problems, we apply the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimators with different specifications to verify the robustness of our estimates. In a scenario where the vast majority of the population has access to electricity, our findings indicate that an expansion in power provision reduces income inequality. Nonetheless, the higher the power infrastructure quality, the smaller the returns of a growing power supply to the reduction of inequality, thus suggesting that richer populations tend to benefit the most from improvements in power quality.
Recent works on economic growth stress the importance of institutions as the main determinant of productivity growth. Yet, this literature disregards the effects of demand growth on productivity growth, as suggested by Kaldor–Verdoorn’s law. The objective of this paper was to test the direct and indirect impacts of institutions on productivity growth, controlling for human and physical capital, as well as for demand growth. Tests were performed for Brazilian municipalities and two measures of institutions were explored. Instrumental variables were used to cope with the endogeneity between economic performance and institutions. The regression results suggest that both supply-side factors and demand growth are important to explain productivity growth. Most importantly, by considering the interaction between demand growth and institutions, the results indicate that in municipalities with inclusive institutions and higher human capital, productivity growth responds more strongly to demand growth.
Many scholars have highlighted the role of infrastructure in reducing income inequality. Developing economies present immense regional and income discrepancies, which are correlated with unequally distributed infrastructure in territorial and population terms. In this paper, we assess the effects of infrastructure supply on income inequality and verify whether these effects vary according to the infrastructure sector and its degree of quality and access in Brazil. The analysis is based on spatial hierarchical models. Results allow us to say that infrastructure correlates negatively with income inequality. Hence, policies aimed at improving infrastructure quality and expanding access are crucial for reducing income concentration.
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