Search

Стратегия пространственного развития Российской Федерации на период до 2025 года нацелена на ускорение экономического роста и сокращение внутрирегиональных социально-экономических различий. Важную роль играют факторы, влияющие на региональный экономический рост, конвергенцию и спилловер-эффекты от соседних регионов. Поскольку российские регионы значительно различаются между собой, нет единой траектории их развития. 80 субъектов Российской Федерации были поделены на 3 группы - бедные, средние и богатые регионов. В статье были проанализированы три основные гипотезы, основанные на различиях: 1) в скорости конвергенции, 2) во влиянии одних и тех же факторов, 3) во влиянии регионов друг на друга. Представленные гипотезы были протестированы с помощью модифицированной пространственно-авторегрессионной модели для трех выделенных групп на основе данных по регионам России за 2000-2017 гг. Бета-конвергенция была обнаружена только в средних и богатых регионах, причем в богатых регионах скорость конвергенции выше. Рост бедных регионов не превышает рост других субъектов, что подтверждает актуальность Стратегии пространственного развития. Были выявлены сходства и различия факторов, обеспечивающих экономический рост регионов всех трех групп. Обнаружено, что открытость региональной экономики стимулирует рост во всех исследованных регионах. Рост богатых регионов может быть достигнут за счет увеличения инвестиций и снижения инвестиционного риска, в то время как инвестиции в бедные и средние регионы неэффективны. Спилловер-эффекты, возникающих при росте соседних субъектов, положительно влияют на бедные и средние регионы. В дальнейшем можно ожидать сокращения разрыва в уровне жизни населения бедных и богатых регионов. The Strategy of Spatial Development of the Russian Federation until 2025 aims at the economic growth acceleration and reduction of the intra-regional socio-economic differences. Therefore, the factors affecting the economic growth of regions, convergence of regions, spillover effects from the neighbouring regions are of importance. Russian regions are very different and do not converge to a unique equilibrium path. 80 Russian regions were divided into the groups of poor, middle and rich regions. Three main hypotheses were considered, based on the differences in the 1) convergence speed, 2) influence of the same factors, 3) different mutual influence of regions. They were tested using a modified spatially autoregressive model for the three groups using the Russian regional data for 2000-2017. Beta-convergence was found only for the middle and rich regions, the rate of convergence was higher in the rich regions. The poor regions did not grow faster than the other regions, confirming the relevance of the Strategy of Spatial Development. The similarities and differences were identified in the factors ensuring the economic growth of regions belonging to the three groups. The growth in all regions is stimulated by the regional economy openness. The growth of rich regions can be achieved by increasing the investment and reducing the investment risk. However, the investments in the poor and middle regions are not effective. The poor and middle regions receive positive spillovers from the growth of the neighbouring regions. It is possible to expect reduced differences in the living standards between the poor and rich regions.

This paper examines whether labor productivity converged across Peru’s regions (“departments”) during 2002-12. Given the large differences in labor productivity across the regions of Peru, such convergence has the potential to raise aggregate productivity and incomes, and also reduce regional inequalities. The paper finds that labor productivity in the secondary sector (especially manufacturing) and the mining sector has converged across Peruvian departments. The paper does not find robust evidence for labor productivity convergence in agriculture and services. These patterns are consistent with recent cross-country evidence and with the hypothesis that productivity convergence is more likely in sectors with greater scope for market integration, because of the effects of competition and knowledge flows. The convergence in labor productivity within manufacturing and mining has been sufficient to lead to convergence in aggregate labor productivity across departments. But because services and agriculture continue to employ the majority of workers in Peru, aggregate convergence is slower than that within manufacturing. The paper also finds that poverty rates are not converging across departments. The limited impact of labor productivity convergence on poverty could be tied to the facts that not all sectors are experiencing productivity convergence, poorer people are employed in sectors where convergence has been slower (such as agriculture), and there is very little labor reallocation toward converging sectors (such as manufacturing).

Do regions with higher working age populations grow faster? This paper examines this question using data from Russian regions and finds evidence that demographic trends influence regional growth convergence. In other words, keeping other factors constant, poorer regions grow faster than richer regions, and some of the growth convergence is explained by demographic changes: faster growth in poor regions in the past was related in part to more favorable demographic trends. This finding has important consequences for Russia. If the demographic trends in poorer regions worsen in the future, this could dampen economic convergence. Unless there are significant increases in labor productivity or additions to the labor force through migration, growth in Russian regions will moderate as the Russian population shrinks and ages in the coming decades.

This paper uses new data on agricultural policy interventions to examine the political economy of agricultural trade policies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Historically, African governments have discriminated against agricultural producers in general (relative to producers in non-agricultural sectors), and against producers of export agriculture in particular. While more moderate in recent years, these patterns of discrimination persist. They do so even though farmers comprise a political majority. Rather than claiming the existence of a single best approach to the analysis of policy choice, the authors explore the impact of three factors: institutions, regional inequality, and tax revenue-generation. The authors find that agricultural taxation increases with the rural population share in the absence of electoral party competition; yet, the existence of party competition turns the lobbying disadvantage of the rural majority into political advantage. The authors also find that privileged cash crop regions are particular targets for redistributive taxation, unless the country's president comes from that region. In addition, governments of resource-rich countries, while continuing to tax export producers, reduce their taxation of food consumers.