This study examines the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth in developing countries. Based on deduction from the relevant theoretical and empirical literature, the study tests the following hypotheses regarding the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth. First, fiscal deficits have significant positive or negative impact on economic growth in developing countries. Second, the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth depends on the size of deficits as a percentage of GDP - that is, there is a non-linear relationship between fiscal deficits and economic growth. Third, the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth depends on the ways in which deficits are financed. Fourth, the impact of fiscal deficits on economic growth depends on what deficit financing is used for. The study also examines whether there are any significant regional differences in terms of the relationship between fiscal deficits and economic growth in developing countries. The study uses panel data for thirty-one developing countries covering the period 1972- 2001, which is analysed based on the econometric estimation of a dynamic growth model using the Arellano and Bond (1991) generalised method of moments (GMM) technique. Overall, the results suggest the following. First, fiscal deficits per se have no any significant positive or negative impact on economic growth. Second, by contrast, when the deficit is substituted by domestic and foreign financing, we find that both domestic and foreign financing of fiscal deficits exerts a negative and statistically significant impact on economic growth with a lag. Third, we find that both categories of economic classification of government expenditure, namely, capital and current expenditure, have no significant impact on economic growth. When government expenditure is disaggregated on the basis of a functional classification, the results suggest that spending on education, defence and economic services have positive but insignificant impact on growth, while spending on health and general public services have positive and significant impact. Fourth, in terms of regional differences with regard to the estimated relationships, the study finds that, while there are some regional differences between the four different regions represented in our sample of thirty-one developing countries - namely, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa - these differences are not statistically significant. On the basis of these findings, the study concludes that fiscal deficits per se are not necessarily good or bad for economic growth in developing countries; how the deficits are financed and what they are used for matters. In addition, the study concludes that there are no statistically significant regional differences in terms of the relationship between fiscal deficits and economic growth in developing countries.

This thesis consists of four essays, three in the field of random effects models and one in the field of GARCH. The first essay in this thesis, ''Maximum likelihood based inference in the two-way random effects model with serially correlated time effects'', considers maximum likelihood estimation and inference in the two-way random effects model with serial correlation. We derive a straightforward maximum likelihood estimator when the time-specific component follow an AR(1) or MA(1) process. The estimator is also easily generalized to allow for arbitrary stationary and strictly invertible ARMA processes. In addition we consider the model selection problem and derive tests of the null hypothesis of no serial correlation as well as tests for discriminating between the AR(1) and MA(1) specifications. A Monte-Carlo experiment evaluates the finite-sample properties of the estimators, test-statistics and model selection procedures. The second essay, ''Asymptotic properties of the maximum likelihood estimator of random effects models with serial correlation'', considers the large sample behavior of the maximum likelihood estimator of random effects models with serial correlation in the form of AR(1) for the idiosyncratic or time-specific error component. Consistent estimation and asymptotic normality is established for a comprehensive specification which nests these models as well as all commonly used random effects models. The third essay, ''Specification and estimation of random effects models with serial correlation of general form'', is also concerned with maximum likelihood based inference in random effects models with serial correlation. Allowing for individual effects we introduce serial correlation of general form in the time effects as well as the idiosyncratic errors. A straightforward maximum likelihood estimator is derived and a coherent model selection strategy is suggested for determining the orders of serial correlation as well as the importance of time or individual effects. The methods are applied to the estimation of a production function using a sample of 72 Japanese chemical firms observed during 1968-1987. The fourth essay, entitled ''A simple efficient GMM estimator of GARCH models'', considers efficient GMM based estimation of GARCH models. Sufficient conditions for the estimator to be consistent and asymptotically normal are established for the GARCH(1,1) conditional variance process. In addition efficiency results are obtained for a GARCH(1,1) model where the conditional variance is allowed to enter the mean as well. That is, the GARCH(1,1)-M model. An application to the returns to the SP500 index illustrates. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2001</p>

Using static and dynamic panel data analysis, we examine how interest rates influenced equity prices of European banks and insurance companies between 2006 and 2015. Identification and quantification of effects of the low yield environment, which is a consequence of decreasing interest rates, are crucial for regulators and policy makers. Our static and dynamic models show that decreasing short-term interest rates had a negative impact both on banks and insurers. In this thesis, dynamic models are estimated by means of the Blundell- Bond system GMM estimator and we consider their results superior to the results of static models because all underlying assumptions of the dynamic models are met here. Results obtained by employing the Blundell-Bond system GMM estimator suggest that life insurers were effected more than banks, while banks were effected more than non-life insurers. In case of a 1 percentage point decrease in short-term interest rates, equity prices of life insurers are estimated to decrease on average by 18 %, equity prices of banks by 8 %, and equity prices of non-life insurers by 3 %. JEL Classification C33, C36, C61, E44, G21, G22 Keywords interest rates, equity prices, static panel analy­ sis, dynamic panel analysis, system GMM esti­ mator Author's e-mail jurena.filip.l@ gm ail.com...

This study examines the relationship between financial inclusion and economic growth, more specifically if financial inclusion is an important factor for economic growth. A sub question was stated as well, if the six proxies of the financial inclusion measurement respectively have an impact on economic growth. To help examine this research area we have compiled panel data from 20 countries with different income levels over a time period of 19 years. The time period on which this study is focusing is 2002-2020. The tests conducted in this study are the Dickey-Fuller unit root test and the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel GMM method. Given the result of the dynamic panel estimation, we found that financial inclusion has a positive relation to economic growth. The result also indicated that three of the six proxies for financial inclusion were statistically significant and have a positive relation to economic growth. To conclude, the study found empirical evidence that financial inclusion is an important factor for economic growth.

The purpose of the thesis is to introduce novel measure of real marginal cost in the New Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) and compares its performance with conventional mea- sures such as output gap and labour share of income. Real marginal cost is derived from a flexible function whereas labour share is based on restrictive assumption of Cobb-Douglas technology. Dynamic correlations and results of NKPC indicate that real marginal cost is better than ad hoc measure of output gap and labour share. Given the heterogeneity in price setting behaviour across sectors, cost functions and NKPC are estimated for the agriculture, manufacturing and other sectors of Pakistan's economy. Real marginal cost is derived from static and dynamic cost functions. In the presence of adjustment costs, dynamic cost functions that are consistent and integrated with their static systems are required. Such dynamic translog cost functions are estimated after testing the theoretical properties and existence of long term relationships in the static functions. Cost attributes, marginal cost, total factor productivity, technological progress, demand and substitution elasticities are derived from static and dynamic functions. Three specifications of forward looking and hybrid form of the Phillips curves are estimated with real marginal cost, output gap and labour share. Results indicate that hybrid specifications perform better than the forward looking models in terms of goodness of fit and statistical significance. Further, comparison of Phillips curves estimated with real marginal cost, output gap and labour share indicate that real marginal cost performs better in explaining inflation dynamics in Pakistan. The results indicate that forward looking behaviour dominates and high level of nominal rigidities persists in Pakistan. Finally, hybrid form of the NKPC is estimated for a panel of sixteen Asian economies. With the consideration of heterogeneity and aggregation bias, the mean group, random coefficient and weighted average coefficients are derived from individual estimates. The unobserved time variant common factors cause cross correlation in the errors that may lead towards inconsistent estimates. Therefore, cross section averages of the explanatory and the dependent variables are augmented in hybrid specification to capture the effect of latent variables. Findings suggest that the discount factor is almost 0.94, the nominal rigidities are 33% and the weights of expected and past inflation are 66% and 33% respectively. Nominal rigidities of the Asian economies are lower than the estimates for US and Euro areas. The weights of expected and past inflation of the Asian economies are consistent with the US but lower than the estimates from the Euro areas.

本篇論文在結構性時間序列模型基礎下，將中國大陸29省市自治區1978-2005年實質人均GDP，拆解出其長期趨勢變動軌跡中的水準值與斜率值，對照傳統上直接利用實質所得數據，以動態縱橫資料方法進行經濟成長條件收斂假說的檢定。本文特色在於加入潛在GDP長期趨勢項的水準值和斜率值，並利用內生解釋變數落後項動態分析。除可驗證隨著時間經過，中國相對貧窮省區是否終將逐漸趕上相對富有省份所得水準外，其次，根據GDP趨勢項一階與二階條件的收斂與否，可進而確認實質GDP收斂的本質。 我們發現，實質人均GDP收斂的本質關鍵在於潛在趨勢水準收斂，潛在GDP趨勢斜率的成長率將左右區域間實質所得收斂速度。大部分樣本中，擴大的Solow模型或考慮不同經濟開放程度因素下的內生成長模型，支持條件收斂假說，而後者設算出的收斂係數明顯較為低。此外，考慮採用Arellano and Bond(1991)的the first difference GMM估計式可能存在弱工具性問題(a weak instruments problem)，以Blundell and Bond(1998)發展出的the system GMM估計式，作為探討初始所得與經濟成長收斂的關係應是較為適合的方法。 / This research examines the economic growth conditional convergence hypothesis. Using the data of 29 provinces in Mainland China between 1978 and 2005, this study applied the structural time series model to deconstruct the provinces’ real GDP per capita into two parts - the level and the slope of trend movement. The characteristics of this paper are to include the level and the slope of trend of potential GDP and to consider the lagged dependent variables into the panel data. This study intends to validate whether the income level of relatively poor provinces will gradually catch up that of the relatively affluent provinces in Mainland China eventually. In addition, this study, based on the convergence or divergence in the first-order and second-order conditions of GDP tendency, will confirm the essence of the convergence in real GDP. The findings are that the essential key of the convergence in real GDP per capita is the convergence of the potential level of GDP. The growth of potential GDP tendency slope would affect the converging speed of real income in regions. The testing results of either the augmented Solow model or the endogenous growth model which considered different economic opening degrees both support the conditional convergence hypothesis in most sample sets, while the estimated convergence coefficients of the later are significantly lower than those of the former. In addition, considering the possible weak instruments problem in the first difference GMM estimator developed by Arellano and Bond (1991), the system GMM developed by Blundell and Bond (1998) should be a more suitable way to observe the relation between initial income level and economic growth convergence.

This study analysed the effects of international trade on human development in two developing regions, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The choice of comparing SADC and ASEAN is motivated by the many similarities between both regions half a century ago, and the stark divergence of their respective development pathways which has led to different development outcomes half a century later. Annual data from 2000 to 2018 and dynamic panel data econometric techniques were used in this study, controlling for individual country characteristics, endogeneity, serial correlation, heterocedasticity and interdependencies between the countries in each region. Two estimations were done in this study; sample wide estimations and country specific estimations. In the sample wide estimations the Generalised Method of Moments of Arellano and Bover (1995) with forward orthogonal deviations, and Feasible Generalised Least Squares of Parks (1967) and Kmenta (1986) were used, whilst Swamy’s Random Coefficients were used in the country specific estimations. Trade is measured using the current account balance as a percentage of GDP, whilst human development is captured by the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI). In the sample wide estimations, the study found that trade openness enhances human development for both SADC and ASEAN as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). Gross fixed capital formation, economic growth and technological progress all had positive effects on human development in both regions. Unemployment had a counter intuitive positive effect on human development. This raises issues on the nature and quality of employment, including concerns on cheap production labour and vulnerable employment. The ASEAN region had a higher mean level of economic growth, a trade surplus and higher level of technological progress than SADC. This is consistent with the manufacturing focus of ASEAN, compared to the primary commodity exporting nature of SADC which had a trade deficit. However, in each region there were country specific differences in terms of what drives human development. The country specific disparities in drivers of human development have implications for the regional trade and development nexus. In particular, these disparities must be considered in the conceptualization and implementation of the SADC Industrialisation and Strategy Roadmap, and the most recent African Continental Free Trade Area. The policy implication is that such regional trade agreements should accommodate countries’ specific heterogeneity as the policy pathways will differ between countries. / Business Management / D. Phil. (Management Studies)