Working Papers
January 1, 0001
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January 1, 0001
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January 1, 0001
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January 1, 0001
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1999
February 1, 1999
Does Higher Government Spending Buy Better Results in Education and Health Care?
Description: There is little empirical evidence to support the claim that public spending improves education and health indicators. This paper uses cross-sectional data for 50 developing and transition countries to show that expenditure allocations within the two social sectors improve both access to and attainment in schools and reduce mortality rates for infants and children. The size and efficiency of these allocations are important for promoting equity and furthering second-generation reforms.
February 1, 1999
Credit Allocation and Financial Crisis in Korea
Description: This paper analyzes some of the structural problems associated with the Korean financial sector, and investigates whether the financial system has allocated credit in an efficient way over the past three decades. Using data for 32 manufacturing sectors, we find no evidence that credit flows were directed to the relatively more profitable sectors, either before or after the financial reforms. We also find that the flow of credits did not contribute to improve the economic performance of the favored industries over time.
February 1, 1999
Taxation in Latin America: Structural Trends and Impact of Administration
Description: From the mid-1980s to early 1990s, Latin American tax policy provided rich lessons for other reforming countries. Meaningful innovations led also to perceptible revenue gains. Later in the 1990s, tax policies began to drift. Shining examples of fundamental reform seemed to lose their luster. Revenue in terms of GDP also stagnated, partly reflecting over-reliance on consumption taxes and neglect of taxable capacity on incomes. The stagnation has been exacerbated by excessively simplified administrative practices. Based on these developments and on the limited taxability of internationally mobile capital, the paper anticipates a likely tax structure for the new century.
February 1, 1999
Are There International R&D Spillovers Among Randomly Matched Trade Partners? A Response to Keller
Description: Keller (1998) reexamines Coe and Helpman’s (1995) analysis of international R&D spillovers focusing on the weights used to define the foreign R&D capital stock. Keller creates “random” weights and shows that they give rise to positive estimates of international R&D spillovers, casting doubts on the robustness of Coe and Helpman’s findings. We show that Keller’s “random” weights are essentially simple averages with a random error. We derive alternative random weights and present regressions showing that when they are used to define the foreign R&D capital stock, the estimated international R&D spillover estimates are nonexistent, as would be expected.
February 1, 1999
Large Capital Flows: A Survey of the Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses
Description: This paper reviews the causes, consequences, and policy responses to large capital flows in several emerging markets. It opens by studying recent patterns of capital flows, and then discusses the causes of capital flows. Emphasis is given to the reasons behind the capital inflow episode in the 1990s, the major reversals, and the volatility observed in these flows. The paper goes on to examine the consequences of capital inflows and the pros and cons of alternative policy responses. It concludes with policy lessons derived from country experiences.