IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/4538.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Endogenous Growth, Public Capital, and the Convergence of Regional Manufacturing Industries

Author

Listed:
  • Charles R. Hulten
  • Robert M. Schwab

Abstract

Several explanations can be offered for the unbalanced growth of U.S. regional manufacturing industries in the decades after World War II. The convergence hypothesis suggests that the success of the South in catching up to the Northeast and Midwest should be understood by analogy with the economic success of Japan and the rest of the G-7 in closing the gap relative to the U.S. as a whole. Endogenous growth theory, on the other hand, assigns a central role to capital formation, broadly defined. A variant of endogenous growth theory focuses on investments in public infrastructure as a key determinant of regional growth. Finally, traditional location theory stresses the evolution of regional supply and demand and the role of economies of scale and agglomeration. This paper compares these alternative explanations of U.S. regional growth by testing their predictions about the productive efficiency of regional manufacturing industries. We find little evidence that technological convergence explains the regional evolution of U.S. manufacturing industry, or that endogenous growth was an important factor. We also find little evidence that public capital externalities played a significant role in explaining the relative success of industries in the South and West. The main engine of differential regional manufacturing growth over the period 1970-86 seems to be inter-regional flows of capital and labor. The growth of multifactor productivity is essentially uniform across regions, although there is some variation in the initial levels of efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles R. Hulten & Robert M. Schwab, 1993. "Endogenous Growth, Public Capital, and the Convergence of Regional Manufacturing Industries," NBER Working Papers 4538, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:4538
    Note: PR
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nber.org/papers/w4538.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. repec:fth:harver:1532 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Krugman, Paul R, 1993. "On the Relationship between Trade Theory and Location Theory," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(2), pages 110-122, June.
    4. Rebelo, Sergio, 1991. "Long-Run Policy Analysis and Long-Run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 500-521, June.
    5. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    6. Savin, N.E., 1984. "Multiple hypothesis testing," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Z. Griliches† & M. D. Intriligator (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 14, pages 827-879, Elsevier.
    7. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    8. M. Denny & M. Fuss & J. D. May, 1981. "Intertemporal Changes in Regional Productivity in Canadian Manufacturing," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 14(3), pages 390-408, August.
    9. Alicia H. Munnell, 1990. "How does public infrastructure affect regional economic performance?," Conference Series ; [Proceedings], Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, vol. 34, pages 69-112.
    10. Ernst R. Berndt & Bengt Hansson, 1991. "Measuring the Contribution of Public Infrastructure Capital in Sweden," NBER Working Papers 3842, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1990. "Lecture Notes on Economic Growth(I): Introduction to the Literature and Neoclassical Models," NBER Working Papers 3563, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Baumol, William J, 1986. "Productivity Growth, Convergence, and Welfare: What the Long-run Data Show," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1072-1085, December.
    13. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    14. Barro, Robert J, 1990. "Government Spending in a Simple Model of Endogenous Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 103-126, October.
    15. Morrison, Catherine J & Schwartz, Amy Ellen, 1996. "State Infrastructure and Productive Performance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(5), pages 1095-1111, December.
    16. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    17. Sal-I-Martin, X., 1990. "Lecture Notes On Economic Growth: Introduction To The Literature And Neoclassical Models," Papers 621, Yale - Economic Growth Center.
    18. Robert J. Barro & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1991. "Convergence across States and Regions," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(1), pages 107-182.
    19. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    20. Diewert, W. E., 1976. "Exact and superlative index numbers," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 115-145, May.
    21. Barro, Robert J & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1992. "Convergence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(2), pages 223-251, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bostic, Raphael W. & Gans, Joshua S. & Stern, Scott, 1997. "Urban Productivity and Factor Growth in the Late Nineteenth Century," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 38-55, January.
    2. Coronado, Julia Lynn, 1999. "Tax Exemption and State Capital Investment," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 52(n. 3), pages 473-82, September.
    3. Fernández de Guevara, Juan & Maudos, Joaquín & Salvador, Carlos, 2021. "Effects of the degree of financial constraint and excessive indebtedness on firms’ investment decisions," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Gabor Hunya & Mark S. Knell & Roman Römisch & Hermine Vidovic, 2003. "wiiw Structural Report 2003 on Central and Eastern Europe, Volume 2," wiiw Structural Report 2, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    5. McCunn, Alan & Huffman, Wallace E., 1998. "Convergence in U.S. TFP Growth for Agriculture: Implications of Interstate Research Spillovers for Funding Agricultural Research," ISU General Staff Papers 199808010700001304, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    6. José Manuel González-Páramo & Diego Martínez López, "undated". "Public Investment and Convergence in the Spanish Regions," Studies on the Spanish Economy 112, FEDEA.
    7. Mercedes Gumbau-Albert & Joaquín Maudos, 2006. "Technological activity and productivity in the Spanish regions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 40(1), pages 55-80, March.
    8. Massimiliano Agovino & Agnese Rapposelli, 2015. "Agglomeration externalities and technical efficiency in Italian regions," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 1803-1822, September.
    9. Catherine J. Morrison Paul & Donald Siegel, 1999. "Estimation of Scale Economies Underlying Growth and Productivity: The Empirical Implications of Data Aggregation," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(4), pages 739-756, April.
    10. repec:rre:publsh:v:33:y:2003:i:2:p:184-205 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Camilla Mastromarco & Ulrich Woitek, 2006. "Public Infrastructure Investment and Efficiency in Italian Regions," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 57-65, April.
    12. Pedro Cantos & Mercedes Gumbau‐Albert & Joaquín Maudos, 2003. "Transport infrastructures, spillover effects and regional growth: evidence of the Spanish case," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 25-50, December.
    13. Daniel Montolio & Albert Solé‐Ollé, 2009. "Road investment and regional productivity growth: the effects of vehicle intensity and congestion," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 88(1), pages 99-118, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Howell Zee, 1997. "Endogenous Time Preference and Endogenous Growth," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20.
    2. Andrew Bernard & Márcio Gomes Pinto Garcia, 1997. "Public and private provision of infrastructure and economic development," Textos para discussão 375, Department of Economics PUC-Rio (Brazil).
    3. Pierre-Yves Hénin & Pierre Ralle, 1993. "Les nouvelles théories de la croissance : quelques apports pour la politique économique," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 44(1), pages 75-100.
    4. Valentinyi, Ákos, 1995. "Endogén növekedéselmélet. Áttekintés [Endogeneous theory of growth: a review]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 582-594.
    5. Pozzolo, Alberto Franco, 2004. "Endogenous Growth in Open Economies - A Survey of Major Results," Economics & Statistics Discussion Papers esdp04020, University of Molise, Department of Economics.
    6. Durlauf, Steven N. & Quah, Danny T., 1999. "The new empirics of economic growth," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 235-308, Elsevier.
    7. Capolupo, Rosa, 2009. "The New Growth Theories and Their Empirics after Twenty Years," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 3, pages 1-72.
    8. Evans, Paul & Karras, Georgios, 1996. "Convergence revisited," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2-3), pages 249-265, April.
    9. Sala-i-Martin, Xavier X., 1996. "Regional cohesion: Evidence and theories of regional growth and convergence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1325-1352, June.
    10. Magrini, Stefano, 1999. "The evolution of income disparities among the regions of the European Union," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 257-281, March.
    11. Alejandro Díaz-Bautista, 2003. "Convergence And Economic Growth Considering Human Capital And R&D Spillovers," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 2(2), pages 127-143, Junio 200.
    12. Burcu Ozcan, 2014. "Does Income Converge among EU Member Countries following the Post-War Period? Evidence from the PANKPSS Test," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(3), pages 22-38, October.
    13. Leone Leonida & Daniel Montolio, 2001. "Convergence and Inter-Distributional Dynamics among the Spanish Provinces. A Non-parametric Density Estimation Approach," Working Papers 2001/7, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    14. Aikaterini Kokkinou, 2005. "Entrepreneurship, Innovation Activities and Regional Growth," ERSA conference papers ersa05p419, European Regional Science Association.
    15. Francesco Quatraro, 2006. "Mind the Gap: Convergence of Technology and Technology of Convergence in Italian Regions, 1982-2001," ERSA conference papers ersa06p831, European Regional Science Association.
    16. Magrini, Stefano, 2004. "Regional (di)convergence," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: J. V. Henderson & J. F. Thisse (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 62, pages 2741-2796, Elsevier.
    17. Musisi, A.A., 2006. "Physical public infrastructure and private sector output/productivity in Uganda: a firm level analysis," ISS Working Papers - General Series 19182, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    18. Alberto Franco Pozzolo, 2004. "Endogenous growth in open economies: a surveys," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 527, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    19. Iancu, Aurel, 2007. "The Question of Economic Convergence - first part -," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 4(3), pages 5-18, September.
    20. Cardenas, Mauricio & Ponton, Adriana, 1995. "Growth and convergence in Colombia: 1950-1990," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 5-37, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:4538. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.