Abstract
This paper examines the role of data mining analysis in explaining the Italian regional dualism with the aim of suggesting economic policies to fill the existing socio-economic gaps. We analyze the 2004–2014 period exploiting the capacity of MARS model in finding relationships among data. In Italy, the presence of a North-South divide is well-known for decades and present for several social and economic aspects. Recent studies prove that strong differences exist also in the regional human capital. Thus, we search for the causes of the local differences, also considering the entrepreneurial vitality and the international trade leverage. Among several variables, MARS is useful in showing the actual determinants on which to intervene. This is possible by comparing regions grouped homogeneously into clusters using recent data. MARS results are used for policy suggestions with the aim of filling the income gap.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A’Hearn, B., Venables, A.J.: Regional disparities: internal geography and external trade. In: Toniolo, G. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of the Italian Economy Since Unification. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2013)
Abraham, A., Steinberg, D., Philip, N.S.: Rainfall forecasting using soft computing models and multivariate adaptive regression splines. IEEE SMC Trans. Spec. Issue Fusion Soft Comput. Hard Comput. Ind. Appl. 1, 1–6 (2001)
Abramo, G., D’Angelo, C.A., Rosati, F.: The North–South divide in the Italian higher education system. Scientometrics 109(3), 2093–2117 (2016)
Ardizzi, G., Petraglia, C., Piacenza, M., Turati, G.: Measuring the underground economy with the currency demand approach: a reinterpretation of the methodology, with an application to Italy. Rev. Income Wealth 60(4), 747–772 (2014)
Barro, R.J., Sala-I-Martin, X.: Convergence across states and regions. Brookings Papers Econ. Act. 22(1), 107–182 (1991)
Basile, R., Giunta, A., Nugent, B.: Internationalisation process of small and medium sized firms in Italy over the nineties. In: Pietrobelli, C., Sverrisson, A. (eds.) Linking Local and Global Economies. Routledge, London (2004)
Biagi, B., Faggian, A., McCann, P.: Long and short distance migration in Italy: the role of economic, social and environmental characteristics. Spat. Econ. Anal. 6(1), 111–131 (2011)
Bigoni, M., Bortolotti, S., Casari, M., Gambetta, D., Pancotto, F.: Amoral familism, social capital, or trust? the behavioural foundations of the Italian North-South divide. Econ. J. 126(594), 1318–1341 (2016)
Daniele, V., Malanima, P.: Il prodotto delle regioni e il divario Nord-Sud in Italia (1861–2004). Rivista di Politica Economica 97(2), 267–316 (2007)
Daniele, V., Malanima, P.: Il divario Nord-Sud in Italia 1861–2011. Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli (2011)
Del Giovane, P., Nobili, A., Signoretti, F.M.: Supply tightening or lack of demand? An analysis of credit developments during the Lehman Brothers and the sovereign debt crises. Banca d’Italia - Temi di discussione, 942 (2013)
Di Liberto, A.: Education and Italian regional development. Econ. Educ. Rev. 27(1), 94–107 (2008)
Edwards, R., Ranson, S., Strain, M.: Reflexivity: towards a theory of lifelong learning. Int. J. Lifelong Educ. 21(6), 525–536 (2002)
Ertur, C., Le Gallo, J., Baumont, C.: The European regional convergence process, 1980–1995: do spatial regimes and spatial dependence matter? Int. Reg. Sci. Rev. 29(1), 3–34 (2006)
Faini, R., Galli, G., Gennari, P., Rossi, F.: An empirical puzzle: falling migration and growing unemployment differentials among Italian regions. Eur. Econ. Rev. 41(3–5), 571–579 (1997)
Fleisher, B.M., Li, H., Zhao, M.Q.: Human capital, economic growth, and regional inequality in China. J. Dev. Econ. 92(2), 215–231 (2010)
Fratesi, U., Percoco, M.: Selective migration, regional growth and convergence: evidence from Italy. Reg. Stud. 48(10), 1650–1668 (2014)
Friedman, J.H.: Multivariate adaptive regression splines. Ann. Stat. 19(1), 1–67 (1991)
Friedman, J.H.: Fast MARS. Department of Statistics. Stanford University Technical Report, Stanford (1993)
Goldin, C.: Human capital. In: Diebolt, C., Haupert, M. (eds.) Handbook of Cliometrics. Springer, Heidelberg (2016)
Guerrieri, P., Iammarino, S.: Dynamics of export specialization in the regions of the Italian Mezzogiorno: persistence and change. Reg. Stud. 41(7), 933–948 (2007)
Hanushek, E.A.: Economic growth in developing countries: the role of human capital. Econ. Educ. Rev. 37, 204–212 (2013)
Iuzzolino, G., Pellegrini, G., Viesti, G.: Regional Convergence. In: Toniolo, G. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of the Italian Economy Since Unification. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2013)
Piffer, D., Lynn, R.: New evidence for differences in fluid intelligence between North and South Italy and against school resources as an explanation for the North–South IQ differential. Intelligence 46(5), 246–249 (2014)
Sephton, P., Mann, J.: Further evidence of an environmental kuznets curve in Spain. Energy Econ. 36(C), 177–181 (2013)
Terrasi, M.: Convergence and divergence across Italian regions. Ann. Reg. Sci. 33(4), 491–510 (1999)
Van Stel, A., Carree, M., Thurik, R.: The effect of entrepreneurial activity on national economic growth. Small Bus. Econ. 24(3), 311–321 (2005)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Odoardi, I., Muratore, F., Bucciarelli, E., Chen, SH. (2018). Looking for Regional Convergence: Evidence from the Italian Case with Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines. In: Bucciarelli, E., Chen, SH., Corchado, J. (eds) Decision Economics: In the Tradition of Herbert A. Simon's Heritage. DCAI 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 618. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60882-2_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60882-2_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60881-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60882-2
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)