The importance of the role that institutions play in determining economic outcomes has led to a substantial and well debated literature where proxies for the institutional environment are routinely included in both microeconomic and macroeconomic analysis. This thesis aims to contribute to this literature from two applied, but rather different avenues - taxation and disability. There is persistence in this institutional effect and whilst establishing change takes time, there are opportunities for policymakers to enhance development outcomes through institutional change. From a macroeconomic perspective, this thesis aims to investigate the heterogeneity in tax performance that is evident in sub-Saharan Africa despite commonalities amongst countries based on colonial heritage. Specifically, using ethnographic data translated and compiled through the process of the research, the characteristics of ethnic groups and historical population data are combined to create variables that aim to capture indigenous institutional structures or the deeper determinants of current institutional performance. Using these variables, tax performance and tax effort are analysed in a series of averaged cross-sections for a sample of 35 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1970 to 2010. It appears evident that the structure of indigenous institutions has a dynamic, statistically significant and positive effect on both aspects of taxation. The evidence also suggests that a history of more structured organisation and governance amongst tribal groups is a more important contributor to tax performance than the level of ethnic fragmentation.

In this thesis I propose a Likelihood Ratio test to test for a unit root in ARMA(l, 1) models. In Chapter 1 I present an introduction to the unit root testing literature and motivate the ARMA(l, 1) structure. In Chapter :2 I detail, from the estimation stage, how to obtain the test statistic and provide consistency and limiting distribution results. The Monte Carlo experiments show that for a large enough sample the power functions of the test are close to the Asymptotic Power Envelope. In a power comparison exercise, the Likelihood Ratio test outperforms the Augmented Dickey Fuller test. In Chapter :3 I extend the Likelihood Ratio test to account for deterministic terms and provide the corresponding asymptotic results. The empirical analysis shows that, for a large enough sample and a large enough true Moving A verage, the Likelihood Ratio tests are close to the Asymptotic Power Envelope.

Chapter 1 addresses the relationship between political institutions and economic development. It first provides an extensive survey of the related theoretical and empirical literature and then investigates empirically how such a relationship evolved over the period 1870-2005. Results show that political institutions are initially irrelevant and tend to become increasingly important with time in explaining cross-country differences in income per capita. Consistent with the modernization view of the literature, results also seem to suggest that the importance of democracy nowadays might be mostly explained by prior improvements in the standards of living and, in particular, in the levels of education. Chapter 2, jointly with Vincenzo Bove, presents a case study analysis of the impact of coups d'etat on defence spending. We use the synthetic control method and compare the evolution of the defence burden for countries affected by coups with the evolution of an artificial control group. We find that successful coups determine a large increase in defence burden, as they directly affect the bargaining power of the military. When no effects or a decrease in the defence burden is found, it is often the consequence of a democratisation process triggered by the coup. Failed coups, instead, produce a smaller, and mostly positive, effect on military burden, possibly a result of coup-proofing strategies. Chapter 3 explores to what extent the receipt of funding during Ph.D. encourages post-degree research career (extensive margins) and influences research productivity after graduation (intensive margins). Results uncover a significant and positive impact of funding .on early research outcomes at both margins and are robust to different model specifications and outcome measures. One possible explanation, as suggested by additional estimates is that funded students invest more in research-oriented activities (i.e. visiting research programs) and spend less time working part-time while studying.

The role of monetary policy in developing countries is quite different from its role in advanced countries. Its role in a private enterprise economy differs from that in a planned socialist economy with a growing public sector. The U.A.R. has experienced the transformation from a purely private enterprise economy, up to 1955/56, to a planned socialist economy after 1959/60, with a transitional period from the former system to the latter in between. The period covered by this study (1952-64) therefore is of special interest since it embraced far reaching changes in all aspects of economic life. This study is divided into two parts. The first is subdivided into four chapters. The economic and banking structures of the U.A.R. are dealt with in chapters I and II. In chapter III the determinants of the money supply and its change are closely examined. The understanding of the behavioural processes which determine the supply of money is an obvious prerequisite to selecting the most efficient instrument of monetary policy. The factors that determine the demand for money are examined in chapter IV. The conclusion which emerges from the analysis concerning the demand for money in the U.A.R. is that the simple 'Keynesian' inverse relationship between the money/income ratio and the rate of interest on bonds is not found because of the many complex forces affecting both variables during the period covered by this study. The analysis of the demand for money is iii dealt with in a wider framework embracing the shift between assets with money treated as one asset among many. Part II comprises three chapters all dealing with monetary policy. Its objectives, instruments, techniques, limitations and dilemmas are examined in chapter V. In chapters VI and VII, the role of monetary policy in the U.A.R. in the pre-planning period and during the first five-year plan is examined. The resort to economic planning partly stems from the failure of monetary policy to achieve its objectives. Monetary policy cannot be left alone to do the job, i.e., to maintain a high and steady rate of economic growth along with internal and external stability. It is however, an integral part of the country's economic policy and must be co-ordinated with other economic policies like fiscal and incomes policies as well as direct controls.

The gravity anomalies in the vicinity of the Widmerpool Gulf display a strong negative trend, which is best fitted by a third degree surface. This trend is attributed to the development of thick conglomeratic and quartzitic materials, probably of O.R.S and/or Lower Palaeozoic age. The "residual" anomaly is strongly related to variations in depth to the upper surface of the Carboniferous Limestone. Due to partial continuity of sediments along the northern boundary of the gulf, the definition of the gulf in this region is not reflected in the gravity field as strongly as that at the southern boundary. A N - S seismic reflection survey shows little relief in the reflectors and a sudden thinning of sediments towards the southern boundary. At seismic stations where depth penetration was sufficient, a strong unconformity between the "basement" rocks and the younger formations is observed on the time cross section. The seismic reflection survey combined with the gravity and magnetic data, suggests that the southern limit of the gulf is faulted probably against intrusive Caledonian rocks. Theoretical and field studies of linear charges, in cord form (Geoflex) indicate that such seismic sources have definite advantages over the single point charges. This is due to their directional properties and their superior power spectral content. The interactive technique provided by computer graphical devices facilitates the exertion of complete control on the running of programmes. Seismic and gravity programmes using this technique were developed and used in this study.

Most developing countries believe that the actual problem lies not in rapid population growth, but rather in slow socioeconomic development, that as the countries become urbanized and industrialized, as people become educated and infant mortality is reduced, parents will be motivated to reduce fertility and family size. Mixed success and high costs of supply-oriented programmes and lack of public resources in developing countries, have drawn the attention of a growing number of scholars to the role of the factors influencing the demand side of the reproduction process. In view of this contention this study attempts to analyse some of these social and economic determinants of fertility behaviour. The thesis begins with a brief historical survey of the major macro and micro theories of fertility. Starting with macro-economic theories of fertility, we have gone back to the time of Malthus and Marx. We also covered the Neo-Malthusian, Demographic Transition, and Alternative Macro-Economic theories. The development of modern fertility theory is traced through Becker's landmark 1960 article, Mincer's contributions (the opportunity cost of time, relative income) and Becker's 1965 Theory of Household Production. We also surveyed some of other theoretical work being done in the field by Richard Easterlin, Harvey Leibenstein, and others. Before making a choice, design and formulation of the appropriate model for the empirical work, the demographic picture of Bahrain is examined. Although a lot of work has been done on the economics of family size in developed and developing countries employing modern techniques in macroeconomics and microeconomics, there has been no study using data sets from Gulf oil rich countries. The present research will be confined to the experience of the state of Bahrain as an example. The empirical work is based on macro- and micro-analyses of fertility. In macro-analysis of fertility we use time-series data, the period covered in the investigation is from 1967-1986. In micro-analysis of fertility we use cross- section data, based on the 1981 census. Both analyses are based on micro economic theory of fertility. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) technique is employed most of the time to test the effectiveness of socioeconomic factors on fertility, although some Simultaneous Equations Models are constructed.

Studies concerning the activities of foreign-owned firms in developing countries generally conclude that these firms act differently from their local counterparts in the way of handling their labour relations. In order to find out if this is the case, we have compared the employment generation activities, pay and benefit practices, manpower utilisation, education and training activities, and industrial relations applications of foreign-owned and domestic firms operating in Turkish manufacturing. The major implication of our findings is that foreign-owned and indigenous firms, generally speaking, do not behave differently. The employment generation activities, wage and benefit systems, human resource management, and industrial relation practices of these two sets of firms do not differ significantly. This, we believe, can be attributed to several factors. First, unlike many other studies in this field, we controlled certain variables, such as size, industry, and geographical location. It is found that these variables have enormous effect over existing differences. The second implication of our findings is that the structure of local capital and its relations with foreign capital exert great influence over the patterns of the operations of foreign-owned subsidiaries. The majority of the local firms which are included in our sample belong to a few large 'economic groups'. These economic groups have strong ties with foreign capital, and therefore have the opportunity to develop a strategy of adapting production techniques and managerial behaviour of their foreign partners. This tactic further reduces the possibility of acting these two sets of firms differently. Third, in certain areas governmental policies and legal environment appeared the most important factors determining foreign and local firms behaviour. The detailed nature of Turkish labour and trade unions laws force the firms, regardless of their nationality, to behave similarly. Overall, this study suggests that apart from 'firm-specific factors', equally important are the 'country-specific factors' which have influence over the characteristics of the operations of foreign-owned subsidiaries. Governments' attitudes towards foreign capital, the economic development level of host economies, the structure of domestic industry, and the ability of local firms to deal with their foreign counterparts significantly affect the nature of foreign operations.

Since the early 1970s, Jordan like many other developing countries, has experienced significant inflationary pressure in the course of economic development. However, the overall aim of this thesis is to identify analytically and empirically the factors which have contributed to the process of inflation in Jordan, and consequently it is hoped to contribute to the debate on the cause and effect of inflation in LDCs. This objective, achieved throughout many analytical and empirical investigations, begins with analysing the difficulties which arise in studying inflation in developing countries, and at the same time, highlights the theoretical and practical argument for and against inflation in these countries. Thus, the thesis has taken a selective review of the theoretical and empirical explanation of inflation in LDCs. Moreover, it has also investigated some of the literature, concerning the relationship between inflation and economic growth in LDCs, at the same time, providing an analytical and empirical examination with reference to inflation and economic growth in Jordan as well as identifying the main factors which have led to the rapid economic growth in Jordan. With respect to the cause of inflation, the thesis has submitted an analytical and empirical examination of the contributing factors which are held responsible for the inflation process in Jordan. In addition, the cause of inflation in Jordan has been analyzed by producing and testing a replica of the monetarist model, structuralist model, combined model and by conducting some forms of modification by either utilizing Ordinary Least Squares, or by utilizing Cochrane-Orcutt method when it becomes necessary. Finally, it has also offered a recommendation for both policy makers and planners, on the grounds of empirical findings and also the current economic climate that has prevailed in Jordan.

The Cyprus problem started in 1963 with the first coup of the Greeks. The second coup in 1974 by the Greeks aimed to annex Cyprus to Greece and the counter intervention of Turkey led Cyprus being divided into two. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the North and the Greek Cypriot Administration in the South. This research uses input-output theory in analysing the economic structure of TRNC in 1986. Descriptive analysis, enabled comparison of the two economies of the Island. Linkage analysis provided a better understanding of the interindustry relations. Computation of type I and type II output, income, and employment multipliers, and the source of output, income, employment and competitive imports for final demand categories gave a further information about the structural interdependencies of the industries. Using Klein's adopted model for the TRNC economy, OLSQ, LSQ, 2SLS, and NL-2SLS estimation methods are compared in their backward and forward performances over a period of 1977-1988. Dynamic multipliers are also computed. Financial aid received from Turkey was 11 times more effective than aid received from the EEC. Forward projections showed that unless the financial aid received from the EEC is given with respect to need rather than to the projects in the South, or a separate agreement is made with the TRNC, then the present financial aid has very negligible effect on the TRNC economy.

The Jordanian Government is currently considering the process of privatising the Telecommunications Corporation, since it is accused by the Government, of inefficiency and poor performance. This study presents the results of research into the question of what evidence there is to suggest that the Telecommunications Corporation is inefficient and not performing well in its present status as a public enterprise, and why privatisation should improve efficiency. The study also seeks to establish the best policy option available to policy makers in Jordan with regard to the Telecommunications Corporation in the light of worldwide trends of change in telecommunications policy. This study argues that privatisation should be assessed in terms of its origins, motives, stated objectives and its effect on economic efficiency. For performance evaluation, two main approaches are employed, in addition to many performance indicators and sub-indicators. A summary, concluding remarks and agenda for reforming public enterprises is also provided.