The Impact of Public Debt on Economic Growth: A Review of Contemporary Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-357
Author(s):  
Talknice Saungweme ◽  
Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This article provides a detailed survey of existing theoretical and empirical literature on the impact of public debt on economic growth in both developing and developed economies. The aim of the article is to add to the existing debate on the relationship between public debt and economic growth in world economies. The survey finds diverse and, in some cases, inconsistent evidence on the relative impact of public debt on economic growth. Although the majority of the surveyed literature supports the negative effect of public debt on economic growth, several other studies have found a long-run positive impact of public debt on economic growth through the fiscal multiplier effect. The article also found that a few other studies support the Ricardian Equivalence Hypothesis (REH), which states that the relationship between public debt and economic growth is nonexistent. On balance, the article also found that there is a growing body of empirical evidence, which supports the presence of threshold effects in the relationship between public debt and economic growth. Overall, it concludes that theoretical models and empirical studies yield inconclusive results depending on a set of heterogeneous factors, including the level of development of the sampled countries, data coverage, methodology used, and the researchers’ choice of control variables, among other factors. This literature survey differs predominantly from other earlier studies in that it provides a comprehensive review of the linkage between government debt and economic growth, in addition to disentangling public debt into two components, domestic and foreign, and expounding on their relative effects on economic growth.

Empirical Literature on Economic Growth, 1991–2020: Uncovering Extant Gaps and Avenues for Future Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 097491012110616
Author(s):  
Natalia I. Doré ◽  
Aurora A. C. Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Scientific Attention ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Determinants Of Economic Growth ◽  
Latin American And Caribbean

The factors required to achieve sustainable economic growth in a country are debated for decades, and empirical research in this regard continues to grow. Given the relevance of the topic and the absence of a comprehensive, systematic literature review, we used bibliometric techniques to examine and document several aspects in the empirical literature related to growth, from 1991 to 2020. Five main results are worth highlighting: (a) the share of empirical articles on economic growth show a clear upward trend; (b) among all the groups of countries considered, the emerging economies (EEs) have received the most scientific attention; (c) the economic growth processes of the Latin American and Caribbean EEs have observed negligible scientific attention; (d) the very long-run studies comprise a residual share among the empirical literature on growth; (e) the extant empirical studies on economic growth have addressed mainly the impact of “macroeconomic conditions.” Our findings suggest there is a need to redirect the empirical growth agenda, so as to encourage more scientific attention devoted to the analysis of key determinants of economic growth in the very long run. There should also be increased scrutiny of the processes of economic growth in Latin American and Caribbean EEs

scholarly journals The Impact of Public Expenditure on Economic Growth: A Review of International Literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-101
Author(s):  
Sheilla Nyasha ◽  
Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
Public Expenditure ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Government Expenditure ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Research background: Although a number of studies have been conducted on the relationship between public expenditure and economic growth, it is difficult to tell with certainty whether or not an increase in public expenditure is good for economic growth. This lack of consensus on the results of the previous empirical findings makes this study of paramount importance as we take stock of the available empirical evidence from the 1980s to date. Purpose: In this paper, theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between government expenditure and economic growth has been reviewed in detail. Focus was placed on the review of literature that assessed the impact of government spending on economic growth. Research Methodology: This study grouped studies on the impact of public expenditure on economic growth based on their results. Three groups emerged – positive impact, negative impact and no impact. This was followed by a review of each relevant study and an evaluation of which outcome was more prevalent among the existing studies on the subject. Results: The literature reviewed has shown that the impact of government spending on economic growth is not clear cut. It varies from positive to negative; with some studies even finding no impact. Although the impact of government spending on economic growth was found to be inconclusive, the scale tilts towards a positive impact. Novelty: The study provides an insight into the relationship between public expenditure and economic growth based on a comprehensive review of previous empirical evidence across various countries since the 1980s.

scholarly journals Elections, Foreign Direct Investment, and Economic Growth in Ghana’s Fourth Republic: 1993 to 2016

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Foreign Direct Investment ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been seen as an important factor influencing economic growth directly and indirectly in both developed and developing countries. This study assesses the impact of FDI on growth in Ghana since the return to constitutional rule in 1993. The study uses time series data from 1993 to 2016. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lagged model (ARDL), the study finds a positive impact of FDI on growth both in the short-run and long-run. However, there is a lag period of two. The study equally finds that Gross Saving has a positive impact on growth. On the other hand inflation has a negative effect on growth both in the short and long run. The study also discovered that FDI granger causes growth but GDP does not granger cause FDI. Post-election years with incidence of political uncertainty slow down FDI inflow into Ghana. The study recommends the adoption of stringent fiscal and monetary policies to keep inflation low. It also recommends maintaining and improving the liberal market environment to attract investors, policies to encourage saving, and improving on political transitions to avoid uncertainties for investors.

scholarly journals The impact of military spendings on economic growth of Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-64
Author(s):  
Sajjad ◽  
Tariq ◽  
Muhammad Tariq
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Bounds Testing ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Defence Spending ◽  
Augmented Dickey Fuller ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact

A sound national defence is extremely essential for a country’s sovereignty. The geostrategic position of Pakistan and its deterrence policy against neighbouring India have generally been the reasons for stringent military financing. Defence spending affects all sectors of the economy directly or indirectly. This study aims to investigate the influence of government military expenditures on the economic growth of Pakistan over the period 1987-2016. Augmented Dickey-Fuller test has been used for checking the unit root in the data. Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration has been applied to analyze the relationship between military spending and economic growth. The findings indicate that military expenditure has a positive impact on Pakistan's economic growth in the long-run, however it has negative effect on economic growth in the short-run.

How Does Public Debt Affect the Indian Macroeconomy? A Structural VAR Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-284
Author(s):  
Ranjan Kumar Mohanty ◽  
Sidheswar Panda
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Interest Rate ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Structural Var ◽  
Adverse Impact ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Domestic Debt ◽  
The Impact

The study investigates the macroeconomic effects of public debt in India during 1980–2017 using a structural vector autoregression framework. The objective is to examine the impact of public debt on the interest rate, investment, inflation and economic growth in India. The results of the impulse response functions show that public debt has an adverse impact on economic growth but a positive impact on the long-term interest rate in the short run and a mixed effect (both negative and positive) on investment and inflation. We also find that domestic debt has a more adverse impact on the economy than external debt. The estimated variance decomposition analysis finds that much of the variation in selected macro variables are explained by public debt and growth in India. This study suggests that public debt especially domestic debt should be controlled and channelled productively to have a favourable impact on the economy. JEL Classification: H63, O40, C40

Does Public Debt Service Expenditure Crowd-Out Economic Growth? Empirical Evidence from an African Developing Country

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
Talknice Saungweme ◽  
Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Debt Service ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the impact of public debt service on economic growth; and it provides an evidence-based approach to public policy formulation in Zimbabwe. The empirical analysis was performed by applying the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique to annual time-series data from 1970 to 2017. The study findings reveal that the impact of public debt service on economic growth in Zimbabwe is negative in the short run but positive in the long run. The results are suggestive of the existence of a crowding-out effect of public debt service in Zimbabwe in the short run and a crowding-in effect in the long run. In view of these findings, the government should consider fiscal and financial policies that promote a constant supply of long-term finance, long-term fixed investments, and extension of a government securities maturity structure so as to ensure sustainable short- and long-term public debt service expenditures. The study further recommends the strengthening of non-distortionary revenue mobilisation reforms to reduce market distortions and boost domestic investment.

scholarly journals HIGHER EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH A CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariq Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Public Expenditures ◽  
Annual Data ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Education And Economic Growth

This paper highlights the role of higher education for the economic growth inPakistan. We explore the impact of increase in enrolment at tertiary level on thegrowth rate of income per worker. Estimating a growth model developed byMankiv et. al. (1992), using the annual data of Pakistan, we find a robustrelationship between higher education and economic growth in the long run. Themodel has also shown that investment in fixed capital has positive impact oneconomic uplift. Applying Johansen’s cointegration test, we show that the longrun elasticity of income with respect to capital stock is different from its share inGDP, and increase in the enrolment per unit of effective worker helps inbolstering economic growth. But, like earlier literature we also find statisticallyinsignificant relationship between higher education and GDP per worker. Thereare some fundamental reasons concerning to the ambiguous impact of investingin human capital on economic growth, particularly in the short run in case ofPakistan. First, the sharp increase in enrollment, recently, has been damaging thequality of education. Second, the unequal distribution of educational services hasheld back the efficiency of public expenditures, particularly before the reformsundertaken by higher education commission. Third, the low private return ofeducation has limited the demand for higher education in Pakistan for almost fiftyyears.

scholarly journals Impact of Domestic Public Debt on Economic Growth - An Empirical Study in the Indian Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 101-116
Author(s):  
Srinivasa Rao Gangadharan ◽  
Lakshmi Padmakumari
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Granger Causality ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Domestic Debt ◽  
Integration Test ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
The Impact

This study is an empirical investigation to assess the impact of domestic debt on India’s Economic growth during the period 1980 – 2014. We use data on Domestic Debt, Net Fiscal Deficit, Exports, Savings, Real Gross Domestic Product, Population and Terms of Trade. This study adopts the ARDL Co-Integration and Granger Causality techniques to investigate the relation between the key variables. The study also employs various post estimation tests to validate the fitness and stability of the models based on Gauss Markov assumptions, after employing the ordinary least square regression on various models. We find that debt negatively impacts economic growth while savings has a positive impact. The Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique used to test the robustness suggests existence of co-integration among the variables. However, none of the long run co-efficient is significant. The granger causality and co-integration test results support the traditional view that debt negatively impacts economic growth.

scholarly journals Moderating Effect of Political Instability on ICT and Economic Growth Nexus in Kenya: ARDL Bound - Co-Integration Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matundura Erickson ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
High Interest ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Adf Test ◽  
The Relationship

The government has attempted to target specific macroeconomic factors in order to stimulate economic growth in Kenya through monetary and fiscal policies. Despite these efforts, Kenya's GDP growth is hampered by high interest rates and high interest rate volatility. Kenya's ability to address macroeconomic instability hinges on its ability to increase economic growth. Auxiliary evidence shows that perspectives on the relationship between ICT and economic growth are segmented. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of ICT on economic growth in Kenya, as well as the moderating effect of political instability on the relationship. The research was based on Solow's theory of growth. An explanatory research design was used, with data spanning from 1990-2020 obtained from Kenya Bureau of Statistics. In the empirical analysis, the study used the bound test to test for a long-run relationship and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) to evaluate the relationship between the variables. The data was subjected to an Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test to determine stationarity.The long run ARDL results indicated that the coefficients of; ICT rate were insignificant . However with the introduction of political instability as the moderator ICT was significant and positively affected economic growth. Political instability moderated the relationship between ICT ( and economic growth. As a result, promoting effective governance should help to improve political stability. The findings of this study will help the government figure out how to address the problem of low economic growth. According to the study, the government should invest in the ICT sector to improve its accessibility and affordability. Additionally, the government should work to improve political stability and good governance by gradually establishing institutions that uphold the rule of law and provide security.

scholarly journals Macroeconomic Factors and Equity Prices: An Empirical Investigation by Using ARDL Approach

2008 ◽  
Vol 47 (4II) ◽  
pp. 501-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arshad Hasan ◽  
Zafar Mueen Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Testing Procedure ◽  
Bounds Testing ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Equity Prices ◽  
Macroeconomic Variables ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Ardl Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between macroeconomic variables and the equity prices has attracted the curiosity of academicians and practitioners since the publication of seminal paper of Chen, et al. (1986). Many empirical studies those tested the relationship reveal that asset pricing theories do not properly identify macroeconomic factors that influence equity prices [Roll and Ross (1980); Fama (1981); Chen, et al. (1986); Hamao (1986); Faff (1988); Chen (1991); Maysami and Koh (2000) and Paul and Mallik (2001)]. In most of these studies, variable selection and empirical analyses is based on economic rationale, financial theory and investors’ intuition. These studies generally apply Eagle and Granger (1987) procedure or Johanson and Jusilieus (1990, 1991) approach in Vector Auto Regressor (VAR) Framework. In Pakistan, Fazal (2006) and Nishat (2001) explored the relationship between macroeconomic factors and equity prices by using Johanson and Jusilieus (1990, 1991) procedure. The present study tests the relationship between macroeconomic variables such as inflation, industrial production, oil prices, short term interest rate, exchange rates, foreign portfolio investment, money supply and equity prices by using Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) bounds testing procedure proposed by Pesaran, Shin, and Smith (1996, 2001). The ARDL approach in an errorcorrection setting has been widely applied to examine the impact of macroeconomic factors on economic growth but it is strongly underutilised in the capital market filament of literature. This methodology has a number of advantages over the other models. First, determining the order of integration of macroeconomic factors and equity market returns is not an important issue here because the Pesaran ARDL approach yields consistent estimates of the long-run coefficients that are asymptotically normal irrespective of whether the underlying regressors are I(0) or I(1) and of the extent of cointegration. Secondly, the ARDL approach allows exploring correct dynamic structure while many econometric procedures do not allow to clearly distinguish between long run and short run relationships.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document