Si les fonds souverains ne sont pas nouveaux, leur nombre et leur pouvoir financier n’ont cessé de croître depuis le début des années 2000, suscitant de nombreuses inquiétudes, notamment dans les pays développés. Les fonds souverains sont-ils guidés par les mêmes motivations que les investisseurs institutionnels ? Leur pouvoir financier risque-t-il de déstabiliser les marchés? Ces interrogations ont fait des fonds souverains un thème de recherche à part entière dans lequel s’inscrit ce travail de recherche. Le premier essai de cette thèse contribue à identifier les principaux facteurs susceptibles d’inciter un pays à créer un fonds souverain. En outre, les stratégies d’investissement des fonds souverains suscitent de nombreuses interrogations : poursuivent-ils un objectif de rendement financier ou ont-ils des objectifs plus stratégiques? Le deuxième essai met en évidence la complexité du processus de décision des fonds souverains en testant s’ils préfèrent investir dans des pays qui leurs sont familiers et/ou dans des pays dans lesquels ils ont déjà investi par le passé. Dans le prolongement de cette analyse, le troisième essai s’intéresse plus spécifiquement aux déterminants des prises de participations majoritaires des fonds souverains en se focalisant sur un groupe de fonds particulièrement actifs : les fonds des Pays du Golfe. Plus précisément, cette analyse vise à identifier les facteurs qui influencent la décision de prendre le contrôle dans une entreprise donnée. / If Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are not new, their number and their financial power have grown sharply since the beginning of the 2000's, which raise concerns, particularly among developed countries. Are SWFs' motives comparable to other institutional investors'? May SWFs investments destabilize financial markets? These concerns have encouraged researchers to investigate the issues raised by SWFs and it has now become a subject of research in its own rights. This thesis is in line with this literature. The first essay of this thesis identifies the main factors driving the decision to establish a fund. Moreover, investment decisions of SWFs are not well understood yet. Are SWFs investments driven by the search for financial profits or do they pursue more strategic objectives? The second essay highlights the complexity of the investment decision-making process of SWFs, testing if they rather invest in countries with which they share common characteristics and/or in countries where they have already invested. In line with this second essay, the third essay analyzes more specifically the determinants of majority acquisitions made by SWFs by focusing on some particularly active funds: Gulf Countries' SWFs. More precisely, this analysis aims at identifying both microeconomic and macroeconomic factors driving the decision to acquire a majority stake in a cross-border firm.

Background: Stress tests have been increasingly used as a part of the supervisory tool by national regulators after the financial crisis, which can also be used to conduct authorities’ supervisory for determining bank capital levels, assessing the health of a bank. Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to assess whether some micro factors play important roles on the changes of Common Equity Tier One Capital Ratio (between the bank accounting value and the stress testing results under the adverse scenarios).  Our secondary purpose is to investigate if our empirical results will help to provide some theoretical suggestions to regulators when they exercise stress tests.   Method: An empirical analysis by using Panel Data, introducing GARCH model to measure volatility.   Empirical foundation: The results of EU-wide stress tests and bank financial statements   Conclusion: The coefficient associated with non-performing loans to total loans is positively significant and the coefficient associated with bank size is negatively significant.  In addition, the financial system of strong banks is better to absorb financial shocks. These findings are useful, as banks is a reflection of the financial stability of an economic entity, we can use these findings as another reason to pay attention to the process of the stress testing rather just stress testing results.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o comportamento fiscal dos municípios paulistas frente a fatores de ordem política, quais sejam, o calendário eleitoral e as diferentes ideologias dos partidos políticos, entre os anos de 1989 e 2001, englobando assim três eleições municipais. Por meio do método de econometria de dados em painel, através do qual são analisados componentes específicos do orçamento público municipal, são encontradas evidências de impulsos positivos de despesa municipal nas eleições de 1992 e 1996. Por sua vez, no que diz respeito aos partidos políticos na gestão dos municípios, os resultados apresentam evidências de uma diferença mais contundente do PFL e do PTB em relação ao PT, o partido de referência. / This dissertation analyses the fiscal performance of São Paulo state municipalities, between the years of 1989 and 2001, considering the influence political factors, such as the electoral agenda and the different political parties’ ideologies. The period includes three municipal elections. Based on panel data econometric methods, specific components of the public municipal budget were analyzed. Evidences of positive impulses in municipal expenditures were found in the election years of 1992 and 1996 and, for the political parties, it is found evidences of significant differences of the parties PFL and PTB relative to PT, the reference party, in the management of municipal budget.

O objetivo geral da tese é estudar os fatores que influenciaram o volume de crédito privado em três grupos de países - Grupo OCDE, BRICs e América Latina e Caribe -, entre 2004 e 2010. Com a utilização da regressão de dados em painel, os modelos desenvolvidos indicam que, para o Grupo OCDE, o Consumo Privado foi o fator relevante de maior impacto sobre a razão Crédito/PIB, e o sinal positivo de seu coeficiente indica a importância das decisões de consumo das famílias para a liquidez do setor privado, além de refletir o eventual direcionamento do crédito ao consumo. Nos BRIC\'s e na América Latina e Caribe, o sinal negativo obtido pelo saldo da Balança de Transações Correntes foi o elemento mais significativo e de maior intensidade sobre a variável dependente, sinalizando dependência de poupança externa. Além disso, foi observado que, em todos os grupos de países estudados, a magnitude do Comércio Internacional afetou positivamente o grau de endividamento privado nas economias. O significado, para os tomadores de decisão, dos resultados encontrados é analisado no final do trabalho. / The main goal of this thesis is to investigate the private credit determinants in a country between 2004 and 2010, when OECD\'s richer countries, BRIC\'s and Latin American and Caribbean faced Private Credit/GDP ratio\'s increasing. Assuming heterogeneity among regions and applying regression panel data models the outputs indicate in OECD\'s richer countries, Private Credit/GDP ratio was mainly positively influenced by the Household Consumption. In BRIC\'s and Latin America and Caribbean, the Current Account Balance was the most relevant determinant. Furthermore, International Trade affected positively Private Credit/GDP in all country groups. Finally, the significance of these findings for decision makers is analyzed.

O objetivo desta dissertação é investigar a sustentabilidade fiscal dos estados brasileiros durante o período entre 2001 e 2015 e verificar como esta é afetada pelo sistema de transferências intergovernamentais. Para tanto, foram apresentadas as configurações institucionais da política fiscal das Unidades Federativas e definidas duas medidas diferentes de saldo primário, uma delas incluindo e outra excluindo as receitas e despesas com transferências intergovernamentais. Através das referidas medidas foram aplicadas técnicas de dados em painel para avaliar se a relação Dívida/PIB influenciou positivamente o Saldo Primário (Modelo de Bohn: 1998, 2008). Os resultados indicam que a dívida pública não é sustentável e que a evidência de não sustentabilidade independe da inclusão/exclusão das transferências intergovernamentais. Os efeitos, contudo, são heterogêneos. Os estados das regiões Sul e Sudeste, pagadores líquidos de transferências, não atendem a condição de sustentabilidade quando é usado o saldo primário usual, passando a atendê-la quando as transferências intergovernamentais são desconsideradas. Já os demais estados demonstram grande fragilidade fiscal, não atendendo a condição de sustentabilidade sob nenhuma circunstância. Palavras / The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate Brazilian states\' fiscal sustainability during the period 2001 to 2015 and verify how the system of intergovernmental transfers affects it. Therefore, we estimate fiscal reaction functions using two measures of primary balance, one including and other excluding the revenues and expenditures of transfers. The results indicate that the public debt is not sustainable, regardless the inclusion/exclusion of intergovernmental grants. The effects are, however, heterogeneous. States in the South and Southeast, which are liquid donors of grants, do not attend the sustainability condition for the usual primary balance, the reverse occurring when the primary balance exclude the intergovernmental transfers. The remaining states, however, show great fiscal fragility, since they do not attend the sustainability condition under no circumstance.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar dois aspectos complementares da política de atenção básica em saúde: auferir sua eficácia, em termos de impacto sobre indicadores de saúde populacionais, e avaliar a qualidade de sua gestão. A referida política se consolidou nos últimos anos como base estruturante do Sistema Único de Saúde. Com execução de responsabilidade dos municípios, sua relevância deriva basicamente de três aspectos, a saber: a política de atenção básica articula um conjunto de atividades voltadas ao cuidado preventivo, o que, em tese, reduz a demanda por serviços terapêuticos; capilariza o sistema de assistência à saúde pelo país; e instrumentaliza a organização dos modelos municipais de saúde. No que se refere à análise de eficácia, a abordagem empregada foi a econometria de painel de dados, com base na amostra dos municípios da Região Sudeste entre 1999 e 2003. Com base na evolução da cobertura populacional do Programa Saúde da Família e do Programa de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde, constatou-se que a política de atenção básica reduz de forma significativa a mortalidade infantil e a subnotificação de óbitos. Porém, não gera redução das internações hospitalares. Os aspectos concernentes à gestão do programa, por sua vez, foram avaliados com base nos relatórios do programa de fiscalização a partir de sorteios públicos da Controladoria Geral da União. Como principal conclusão derivada de sua análise é que há limitado incentivo para a fiscalização das ações no escopo da atenção básica por parte dos munícipes, uma vez que a política é majoritariamente custeada pela União, ou seja, as populações beneficiárias não internalizam a análise de seu custo-benefício. Além disso, a limitada transparência na condução do programa, fiscalização incipiente e a probabilidade reduzida de punição aos indivíduos envolvidos em irregularidades representam inibidores da disseminação de boas práticas de gestão. / This research investigates two aspects of Brazilian primary health care policy: estimates its impact on municipalities health indicators and analysis the quality on policy management. Primary health care policy consists in an essential foundation of SUS (health care system), as it embraces a wide range of activities focused on preventive care. Besides that, once municipalities are in charge of providing primary care to inhabitants, the policy contributes to scatter attendance over the country and to organize municipals health systems. Our estimates were developed on a panel data approach based on southeastern municipalities data from 1999 to 2003. The coverage of Programa Saude da Familia (Family Health Program) and Programa de Agentes Comunitarios de Saude (Health Community Agents Program) are used as proxies of primary health care presence on each locality. Our results show the negative impact of primary care both on infant mortality and underreporting of deaths (among the whole population), but they suggest primary care policy did not reduce hospitalization. In what concerns policy management, our analysis was settled on reports developed by the Federal Agency Controladoria Geral da Uniao under its Inspection on States and Municipalities by means of Public Lottery Program. Our main conclusion is that programs design rears low incentives for city citizens to inspect resources expended on primary care. Due to policy funding structure, in which Federal Government finances most of total expenses, local citizens do not internalize its cost-benefit analysis. Besides that, low transparency, inadequate inspection and unlikely punishment for individuals caught committing irregularities inhibit proper management practices adoption.

Cette thèse porte sur le rôle des infrastructures de transport dans la croissance économique et dans la réduction des disparités régionales, avec une application à la question de l’aménagement du territoire au Maroc. Cette question est importante dans la mesure où il s’agit de savoir si les infrastructures de transport peuvent être un véritable outil de développement économique. Le travail est structuré en deux parties et quatre chapitres. La première partie prend la forme d’une revue de la littérature théorique et empirique sur la place des infrastructures de transport dans l’aménagement du territoire et la réduction des disparités régionales. Le premier chapitre est consacré à une présentation des théories de la nouvelle géographie économique et de la croissance endogène qui se proposent d’expliquer les disparités régionales. Le deuxième chapitre aborde les effets des infrastructures de transport sur la localisation des agents économiques et sur les phénomènes d’agglomération des activités. La seconde partie du travail développe une étude empirique sur données de panel qui vise à tester l’impact des infrastructures de transport sur un échantillon de 16 régions marocaines. Le troisième chapitre a pour objet la description de l’échantillon et des variables du modèle retenu, ainsi que l’explication des choix méthodologiques effectués. Enfin, le quatrième et dernier chapitre présente et discute les différents résultats obtenus. Les infrastructures de transport semblent avoir un impact positif sur la croissance économique. Leur rôle dans la réduction des disparités inter-régionales reste ambigu. Au vu de nos résultats, il semble en effet permettre une réduction de l’écart entre les cinq régions les plus riches, sans permettre aux régions de rattraper ces régions. / This thesis examines the role of transport infrastructures in the economic growth and reducing regional disparities, with an application to the issue of the land planning in Morocco. This issue will demonstrate as whether the transport infrastructures can be a veritable tool for economic development. The work is structured in two parts and four chapters. The first part takes the form of a review of theoretical and empirical literature on the role of transport infrastructure in the land planning and reducing regional disparities. The first chapter is devoted to a presentation of new theories of economic geography and endogenous growth, which intend to explain the regional disparities. The second chapter discusses the effects of transport infrastructure on the location of economic agents and the processes of urban activities. The second part of the paper develops an empirical study using panel data which aims to test the impact of transport infrastructure on a sample of 16 Moroccan regions. The third chapter is intended to describe the sample and variables of the model used, and the explanation of methodological choices. Finally, the fourth and final chapter presents and discusses the different results.Transport infrastructures appear to have a positive impact on the economic growth. Their role in reducing inter-regional disparities remains unclear. Given our results, it seems to allow a reduction in the gap between the five richest regions, without allowing the regions to make up these regions.

Cette thèse propose une évaluation empirique de l'impact des transferts de fond des migrants (TFM) en matière de développement économique de leur pays d'origine. Elle démontre notamment que cet impact, supposé dans la littérature comme généralement positif, est susceptible d'être réduit en raison de l'existence d'un « effet de dépendance ». Cet effet est particulièrement développé dans les pays pour lesquels les TFM représentent une part importante du PIB. Ce résultat est obtenu en trois temps. Le premier chapitre propose une synthèse de la littérature sur les principaux déterminants et impacts des TFM. Les TFM sont déterminés par les comportements individuels, dont les effets sont observables à l'échelle macroéconomique. Le caractère peu volatile ou contracyclique des TFM leur confère un effet stabilisateur sur les économies receveuses. Cet effet positif a néanmoins un revers : les pays recevant des TFM peuvent connaitre un effet de dépendance aux TFM se traduisant par une diminution de leur activité économique. Le deuxième chapitre présente deux résultats : Premièrement, il propose la fixation d'un seuil empirique de dépendance aux TFM. Ainsi un ratio TFM/PIB supérieur à la moyenne des PED définit un pays comme fortement dépendant. Le second résultat est la confirmation d'un impact négatif de cette dépendance à partir d'une base de données en panel sur 32 pays. Les résultats infirment donc l'hypothèse d'un impact systématiquement positif des TFM sur la croissance du PIB et la formation brute de capitale fixe (FBCF). Le troisième chapitre étudie les impacts et déterminants des TFM dans le cas d'un pays fortement dépendant : le Tadjikistan. Cette étude de cas permet une analyse plus poussée de l'économie des TFM dans un pays fortement dépendant. Différents déterminants macroéconomiques sont testés afin de comparer le poids de l'activité économique russe et tadjike sur les TFM. Les résultats, robustes à différentes méthodes d'estimation, confirment un effet de dépendance aux TFM qui s'explique notamment par la supériorité du cycle économique russe sur le cycle tadjik dans la détermination des TFM. / This thesis provides an empirical assessment of the impact of migrants' remittances on economic development of their origin country of origin. It shows that this impact, assumed in the literature as generally positive, is likely to be reduced due to the existence of a "dependency effect". This effect is particularly important in countries where remittances are an important share of GDP. This demonstration takes place in three stages: The first chapter provides a literature survey on the main determinants and impacts of remittances. Remittances are determined by individual behaviours, whose effects are observable at the macro level. The low volatility and the cyclical nature of remittances give them a stabilizing effect on receiving economies. This positive effect has nevertheless a setback: the remittances receiving countries can be subject to a dependency effect, resulting in a decrease in economic activity. The second chapter presents two results: First, it proposes the establishment of an empirical threshold of remittances' dependency. Thus, a country heavily dependent is characterized by a remittances to GDP ratio above the average of developing countries. The second result is the confirmation of a negative impact of this dependency according to the results of a panel data analysis on 32 countries. The results refute the hypothesis of a consistently positive impact of remittances on GDP growth and on gross capital formation (GFCF). The third chapter examines the impact and determinants of TFM in the case of a country heavily dependent: Tajikistan. This case study provides further analysis of the economics of remittances. Different macroeconomic determinants are tested to compare the role of Russian and Tajik economic activities on remittances. The results, robust to different estimation methods, confirm the effect of dependency. Moreover, remittances are more determined by Russian economic activity than by the Tajik one.

African countries have over the last few decades, experienced a thorny path towards sustained economic growth. Quite a number of researchers have opined that a major factor responsible for their stunted growth path is the prevalence of corruption in the governments of many African countries. However, a group of scholars, called revisionists, have suggested that corruption actually acts as grease in the wheel that ensures the smooth running of an economy, by providing a mechanism to evade inefficient bureaucratic procedures and allow more equitable representation of minority members of the society. With the increasing exposure of African economies to the international community, there is a need to examine the obtainable evidence in relation to corruption and economic growth in African countries. This thesis, therefore, aims to establish the nature of the relationship between corruption and economic growth in the selected African countries. The growth rate of gross domestic product per capita is used to represent the variable, economic growth. The study employs the use of panel data fixed effects and random effect estimation techniques, across 18 countries, over the period of 1997 – 2016. The results show that corruption has a positive relationship with economic growth in the selected African countries. This is in line with the grease in the wheel argument for corruption proposed by revisionists. The results also indicate that corruption has a moderately significant impact on economic growth at 10% level of significance. The literature review suggests that corruption affects economic growth directly and indirectly through mechanisms such as investment (private and public), human capital, openness, and institutional mechanisms, among others.

O objetivo deste trabalho é estimar as elasticidades-preço e renda da demanda residencial por energia elétrica no Brasil utilizando dados em painel. A heterogeneidade da economia brasileira faz com que existam diversos padrões de consumo residencial de energia elétrica e diferentes estruturas tarifárias entre as distribuidoras. Nesse sentido, este trabalho utiliza um banco de dados em painel formado por 63 distribuidoras de energia elétrica no Brasil, para o período 1999-2006. Isso permite controlar possíveis efeitos individuais não observáveis existentes entre as distribuidoras. Três métodos de estimação em painel foram aplicados: o Pooled OLS, o de Efeitos Fixos e o de Efeitos Aleatórios. Além disso, também foi testado se no período de racionamento de energia elétrica ocorrido no Brasil em 2001/2002, ocorreu alguma alteração na sensibilidade dos consumidores com relação a variações nas tarifas de energia elétrica e na renda dos consumidores no período. Os resultados mostraram que a utilização de dados em painel produz estimativas de elasticidades preço e renda de acordo com a teoria econômica. Além disso, os resultados ficaram próximos aos da literatura nacional. Os resultados também mostraram que no período do racionamento aumentou a sensibilidade dos consumidores com relação a alterações nas tarifas de energia elétrica. / The objective of this thesis is to estimate the price and income elasticities of residential electric power demand in Brazil using panel data. The heterogeneity of the Brazilian economy leads to the existence of different patterns of residential electric power consumption and different tariffs structures among the electric power utilities companies. In this regard, this work uses a panel database composed by information about 63 electric power companies in Brazil, in the period 1996-2006. Three panel data methods were applied: Pooled OLS, Fixed Effects and Random Effects. Furthermore, it also was tested if there were some changes in the sensitivity of the consumers regarding the variations in the price and income variables during the electric power rationing in Brazil, in 2001/2002. The results showed that the panel data provides estimations of price and income elasticities in accordance with the economic theory. In addition, the results were close to those in the national literature. The estimations also showed the sensitivity of consumers increased in the period of electric power rationing.