Macarena Suanes and Oriol Roca studied the main determinants of inequality and economic growth in Latin America between 1980 and 2009 and found that one of the main determinants was foreign direct investment. This paper extends that study to 2015 and shows that such investment is no longer significant. In contrast, increasing human capital significantly reduces inequality and improves economic growth. It is recommended, then, that economic policies are oriented towards raising educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
*ECONOMIC development, *ECONOMIC convergence, *ECONOMIC sociology, *SOCIOECONOMICS, *ECONOMIC policy, *SOCIAL policy, LATIN American economy
Abstract
This paper analyzes the convergence hypothesis and the impact of social policy on the economic growth of the six largest countries in Latin America between 1980 and 2010. Results suggest that social public policies have positively influenced growth in these economies. Particularly, there are non-observed variables (fixed effects) that positively affect the economic growth in Venezuela and Chile; however, there are other non-observed variables that may be negatively affecting growth in Brazil and Mexico. Regarding the convergence hypothesis, results reveal that the speed of convergence diminishes as real income rises, implying that these countries might be converging to their stable states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]