Determinants of Economic Growth: A Cross-country Empirical Study (Lionel Robbins Lectures) - Tapa dura

"Professor Barro has been right in the vanguard of the recent empirical literature on economic growth and development. In this little book he provides fascinating new evidence on the interplay between democracy and economic development, and of the impact of inflation on growth, as well as reviewing the evidence on convergence. In all respects a tour-de-force."--Charles Bean, Professor, London School of Economics

Hundreds of empirical studies on economic growth across countries have highlighted the correlation between growth and a variety of variables. Determinants of Economic Growth, based on Robert Barro's Lionel Robbins Memorial Lectures, delivered at the London School of Economics in February 1996, summarizes this important literature. The book contains three essays. The first is a survey of the research on the determinants of long-term growth through the estimation of panels of cross-country data. The second essay details the interplay between growth and political freedom or democracy and finds some evidence of a nonlinear relationship. At low levels of political rights, an expansion of rights stimulates growth; however, once a moderate level of democracy has been obtained, a further expansion of rights reduces growth. The final essay looks at the connection between inflation and economic growth. Its basic finding is that higher inflation goes along with a lower rate of economic growth.