The Effects of Rent Seeking Activities on Economic Growth in Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of rent seeking activities on economic growth in 53 middle-income countries. Our data spans the period 2011 to 2020. We use the generalized method of moments estimator to examine the effects of rent-seeking activities on economic growth. Our study also includes several control variables, namely democratic accountability, public debt, human capital, foreign direct investment, capital stock, population, research and development expenditure and trade openness. The empirical results suggest that rent-seeking activities impede economic growth in middle-income countries.