Abstract
Did the European Unification Induce Economic Growth? In Search of Scale Effects and Persistent Changes. — In this paper we investigate whether the European unification has had an impact on the Union’s average labor productivity growth. Based on a time-series approach we do not find a scale effect as suggested by new growth theory. However, the data do not reject the hypothesis that the EU growth experience is well described by a textbook Solow model. Panel data estimations moreover firmly reject the idea of a growth bonus associated with EU membership.
Zusammenfassung
Führte die europÄische Einigung zu wirtschaftlichem Wachstum? Auf der Suche nach Skaleneffekte und nachhaltigen VerÄnderungen. — Der Verfasser untersucht, ob die europÄische Einigung einen Einflu\ auf das durchschnittliche Wachstum der ArbeitsproduktivitÄt der EuropÄischen Union gehabt hat. Auf der Grundlage einer Zeitreihenanalyse findet er keinen Skaleneffekt, wie die neue Wachstumstheorie nahelegt. Die Daten sprechen aber nicht gegen die Hypothese, da\ das Wachstum der EU durch ein Lehrbuchmodell à la Solow gut beschrieben werden kann. SchÄtzungen mit Paneldaten verwerfen darüber hinaus die Idee, da\ mit der Mitgliedschaft ein Wachstumsbonus verbunden sei.
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