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Examining the Robustness of Competing Explanations of Slow Growth in African Countries

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  • R Burger
  • S du Plessis
Abstract
This research examines previous findings regarding the robustness of the African growth dummy by (i) expanding the list of variables to include those suggested by Easterly and Levine (1998) and Sachs and Warner (1997b) and (ii) with a modelling strategy that allows explicitly for model uncertainty. Using the Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates approach, this paper concludes that the African growth dummy does not appear to be robustly related to growth. This supports the interpretation that the significance of the African dummy may be attributable to omitted variable bias. The paper also contributes to the debate on growth strategies for Africa by assessing the robustness of divergent perspectives offered in the recent literature

Suggested Citation

  • R Burger & S du Plessis, 2011. "Examining the Robustness of Competing Explanations of Slow Growth in African Countries," Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 21-47, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rseexx:v:35:y:2011:i:3:p:21-47
    DOI: 10.1080/10800379.2011.12097229
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kevin D. Hoover & Stephen J. Perez, 1999. "Data mining reconsidered: encompassing and the general-to-specific approach to specification search," Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 2(2), pages 167-191.
    2. Elsa V. Artadi & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 2003. "The Economic Tragedy of the XXth Century: Growth in Africa," NBER Working Papers 9865, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Jan Willem Gunning & Paul Collier, 1999. "Explaining African Economic Performance," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 64-111, March.
    4. Barro, Robert J, 1996. "Democracy and Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-27, March.
    5. David E. Bloom & Jeffrey D. Sachs, 1998. "Geography, Demography, and Economic Growth in Africa," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 29(2), pages 207-296.
    6. Easterly, William & Levine, Ross, 1998. "Troubles with the Neighbours: Africa's Problem, Africa's Opportunity," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 7(1), pages 120-142, March.
    7. 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.
    8. Easterly, William & Levine, Ross, 2003. "Tropics, germs, and crops: how endowments influence economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 3-39, January.
    9. David F. Hendry & Hans-Martin Krolzig, 2004. "We Ran One Regression," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 66(5), pages 799-810, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Gustafsson, 2012. "More countries, similar results. A nonlinear programming approach to normalising test scores needed for growth regressions," Working Papers 12/2012, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    2. Mary Oluwatoyin AGBOOLA & Mehmet BALCILAR, 2014. "Can food availability influence economic growth - the case of African countries," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 60(5), pages 232-245.
    3. Charemza, Wojciech W. & Strachan, Rodney & Zurawski, Piotr, 2010. "False posteriors for the long-term growth determinants," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 109(3), pages 144-146, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C11 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Bayesian Analysis: General
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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