Showing papers by "World Bank published in 1985"
TL;DR: In this article, a study of 43 developing countries in the 1973-78 period of external shocks shows that intercountry differences in the rate of economic growth are affected by differences in investment rates and by the rates of growth of the labor force, by the initial trade policy stance and the adjustment policies applied, and the level of economic development and the product composition of exports.
706 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of hired farmhands is affected by supervision from family members, and if the availability of credit is dependent on the amount of land owned, then a systematic relationship between per-acre yields and farm size will prevail.
617 citations
TL;DR: This article reviewed the most recent and sometimes controversial estimates of deforestation in developing countries and analyzed the relationship between deforestation and its probable causes, and compared three recent estimates of the rate of deforestation between 1968 and 1978 using rank order correlation.
Abstract: Developing nations are faced with a two-edged sword in the field of energy. On the one hand the rising price of oil has reduced the potential for fossil fuel energy and eroded foreign exchange reserves in oil-importing countries. At the same time deforestation may be causing increased prices or shortages of fuels such as fuelwood and charcoal. This paper reviews the most recent and sometimes controversial estimates of deforestation in developing countries and analyzes the relationship between deforestation and its probable causes. Three recent estimates of the rate of deforestation in developing countries between 1968 and 1978 are compared using rank order correlation. Two of the estimates, of closed forest and moist tropical forest, are in significant agreement but differ from a third estimate that includes open woodland and regenerating forest. Agreement is strong among all three sources for a restricted group of countries. A cross-national analysis confirms the most frequently cited causes of ...
583 citations
TL;DR: The transfer mechanism used in many departments of Indian states involves a kind of "internal labor market" (a truer market than in the way that term is often used by labor market economists), which allows pressures for corrupt behavior to bear down on the incumbents of certain posts, and itself amplifies those pressures as discussed by the authors.
412 citations
TL;DR: The paper presents CONOPT, an optimization system for static and dynamic large-scale nonlinearly constrained optimization problems, based on the GRG algorithm, which uses sparse-matrix algorithms from linear programming, modified to deal with the nonlinearity and to take maximum advantage of the periodic structure in dynamic models.
Abstract: The paper presents CONOPT, an optimization system for static and dynamic large scale nonlinearly constrained optimization problems The system is based on the GRG algorithm All computations involving the Jacobian of the constraints use sparse matrix algorithm from linear programming modified to take optimal advantage of the nonlinearity The paper presents the main features of the system, especially the inversion routines and their data structures, the dynamic setting of tolerances in Newton's algorithm, and the user features in the overall packaging Computational experience with some medium to large models is presented
340 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze the recent liberalization and stabilization attempts in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, which are remarkable for their speed and coverage, and bring these analyses together in one volume seems natural because the three experiences were so similar.
173 citations
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01 Jun 1985TL;DR: In this article, the authors report findings from a literature survey to learn about the performance of infant industries in less developed countries and suggest that infant firms have experienced relatively slow productivity growth.
Abstract: This paper reports findings from a literature survey to learn about the performance of infant industries in less developed countries. Remarkably little direct evidence was uncovered about the costs and benefits of developing these industries. But the findings indicate that infant firms have experienced relatively slow productivity growth. Thus many infants started some time ago apparently have so far failed to achieve international competitiveness. The findings suggest tentative conclusions about the causes of the failure. Insufficient productivity growth to achieve and maintain competitiveness seems to reflect the absence of sustained efforts to acquire and use the capabilities necessary for continuous technological change. Far more than stemming from experience alone, these capabilities appear to increase to needed levels only through consciously allocating resources to acquire them.
159 citations
TL;DR: In this article, household data from a one percent sample of the 1970 Brazilian census are used to analyze the effect of public inputs, i.e., the supply of schooling, on children's school attainment in Brazil.
147 citations
TL;DR: A review of the macroeconomic disequilibrium before the reforms, the paper interprets the macroadjustments and concludes that most of the micro reforms were in the right direction and had the expected result as mentioned in this paper.
119 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an empirical measure of creditworthiness based on bankers' perceptions is used to estimate the effect of various variables hypothesized to influence assessments of countries' debt-servicing capacity.
100 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate that uncertainty about future policy reversals coupled with irreversible investment confers an option value to foreign exchange and may lead to capital flight and a fall in aggregate investment after a trade reform.
01 Jan 1985
TL;DR: The World Bank does not accept responsibility for the views expressed herein which are those of the author and should not be attributed to the World Bank or to its affilliated organizaitons as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The author is a World Bank staff member. The World Bank does not accept responsibility for the views expressed herein which are those of the author and should not be attributed to the World Bank or to its affilliated organizaitons. The findings, interpresentations, and conclusions are the results of research supported by the Bank; they do not necessarily represent official policy of the Bank. The designations employed, the presentation of material, and any maps used in this document are solely for the convenience of the reader and do not imply the expression of any option whatsoever on the part of the World Bank or its affiliates concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries, or national affiliation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a unified and consistent theoretical framework to explain why land invasions occur and provide insights as to why the number of squatters in an urban area depends on a squatter community's ability to form coalitions to fully protect its members' rights.
TL;DR: In this paper, the human capital variables with the largest effects are formal schooling and farmer experience, with smaller impacts from field scouting and extension schools, and they found that human capital development can improve farmers' ability to estimate pest damage probabilities.
Abstract: In addition to risk aversion, farmer behavior in an uncertain environment is governed by subjective probability estimates of random events. The estimates given here lend support to the idea that human capital development can improve farmers' ability to estimate pest damage probabilities. More accurate assessment of subjective probabilities leads to lower pesticide use and increases the use of labor-intensive pest controls. The human capital variables with the largest effects are formal schooling and farmer experience, with smaller impacts from field scouting and extension schools.
TL;DR: In this article, the SNA convention of separately distinguishing activities and commodities is endorsed, and it is argued that for analytic purposes commodity transactions should be recorded at market prices, with a separate account for each of the markets for a given commodity in which a distinct price prevails.
Abstract: This paper is concerned with the treatment of commodity and activity balances in a national accounts context. It makes use of a general method for reducing the size of a social accounting matrix (SAM) by apportioning the elements of one or more accounts to the rest. The national accounts are looked at in terms of their usefulness for policy analysis, not least analysis of the impact of price changes. The SNA convention of separately distinguishing activities and commodities is endorsed. However, it is argued that for analytic purposes commodity transactions should be recorded at market prices, with a separate account for each of the markets for a given commodity in which a distinct price prevails. The SNA SAM is shown to be a reduced form of the SAM resulting from this recommended treatment of commodity transactions, while a further round of reductions yields SAMs which are familiar from input-output analysis. No special effort would be required to produce SAMs in which commodity balances are recorded at market prices as recommended here, and all reduced form versions are inferior as a basis for the analysis of price effects on the structure of production.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider three benefit measures of a large transportation improvement in a general equilibrium framework, i.e., the Marshall-Dupuit consumer's surplus, the compensating variation, and the compensated surplus.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider both knowledge diffusion and adoption, assuming that a relevant and viable new technology is available, and discuss the rationale for and scope of public sector involvement in these processes.
Abstract: Two centuries ago, Malthus published his gloomy predictions for the future of mankind on the basis of his assessment of the limited potential for food production growth relative to population growth. As we are all aware, the projections have proven false, essentially because the growth of agricultural productivity was faster than Malthus expected. Over time, agricultural output grew not only because of the incorporation of more cultivated land and the expansion of irrigation and drainage facilities but also through the generation of new or improved technology. Such technology allowed the production of more output per unit of land, or production of the same output with less variable inputs. The generation of new technology is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for increased farm productivity with given natural resources. In the short run, it is not even a necessary condition if there is a gap between available knowledge and typical farmer practices. A crucial element in the process linking the generation of new technology to increased farm productivity is the diffusion of the new knowledge among its potential users, the farmers. The other element in this process is the actual adoption of the new technology, or parts of it, by the farmers. The present paper considers both knowledge diffusion and adoption, assuming that a relevant and viable new technology is available. The focus is on the rationale for and scope of public sector involvement in these processes. Such involvement includes publicly sponsored information dissemination, intervention in output and input markets, intervention in the credit market, and investment in infrastructure. These issues are discussed below.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used an empirical macro-econometric model of Korea to simulate the impact of bank interest rate changes and showed that substantial and persistent real output losses and decreased private investment resulted.
TL;DR: In this paper, it is shown that domestic interest rate deregulation and the removal of prohibition towards holding dollar-denominated assets led to a rise in the ratio of financial assets in GDP and to a shift towards dollar denominated assets, and the persistent and large spread between peso and dollar interest rates adjusted for the preannounced rate of devaluation ( tablita) is examined.
TL;DR: In this article, the extent of intra-industry trade among developing countries is described and compared to the IIT of industrial countries in general and newly-industrialized countries (NICs) in particular.
TL;DR: In this paper, a computable general equilibrium model is used to analyze the growth path of the Chilean economy during 1977-81, and the authors compare model-generated growth paths with those of the economy.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use a two-period model to analyse investment and savings behavior and hence the current account and compare the response of countries in different disequilibrium regimes to shocks in intermediate input prices.
Abstract: Recent work on macroeconomics of price increases of intermediate imports while theoretical rigorous and elegant, is still unable to explain the stylized facts. This paper attempts to remedy the shortcomings of earlier papers by using a two-period model to properly analyse investment and savings behaviour and hence the current account. This model also incorporates disequilibrium in first-period labour and goods markets to compare the response of countries in different disequilibrium regimes to shocks in intermediate input prices.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of U.K. accession to the EEC on its exports to these countries were investigated and a more general model was proposed and estimated, showing that the accession had a negative effect on the UK's trade balance and gross output of manufactures.
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01 Jan 1985TL;DR: In this paper, the authors define private schools as those that were privately founded and are privately managed; they usually have some private funding, although in some cases considerable funding and control come from the government.
Abstract: In this chapter “private” schools are defined as those that were privately founded and are privately managed; they usually have some private funding, although in some cases considerable funding and control come from the government. The size and nature of the private sector is viewed as stemming from excess demand for education due to limited public spending (i.e., these are students who would prefer to use the public schools but are involuntarily excluded and pushed into the private sector); differentiated demand due primarily to cultural heterogeneity (i.e., these are students whose differentiated tastes along religious, linguistic or ethnic lines lead them voluntarily to choose the private sector even if a public school place is available); and the supply of non-profit educational entrepreneurship (e.g., founders who start schools to maximize religious faith or believers, rather than profits) by competing religious organizations. The impact of public policies, including public educational spending and private subsidies, is also considered.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that although the outcome differs from country to country, such a cut would permit a sizable increase in primary enrollments in Sub-Saharan Africa, and especially in Francophone countries.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present data relevant to discussions on the financing of secondary education in Tanzania and show that although students pay no fees, their school related expenditure is in fact quite substantial, amounting in 1981 to US$139 for state students and US$439 (including US$242 for fees) for private students.
TL;DR: In this article, the estimates of the Harberger inflation model for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay were updated to 1980 and all the hypotheses of this model hold and the reaction to monetary growth is fairly rapid.
TL;DR: The history of the diversified curriculum debate can be found in this paper, where the authors describe the institutional environment behind the beginning of bilateral and multilateral assistance to diversified curricula in 1960.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a dynamic, simultaneous model of price and quantity adjustments in world primary commodity markets, formulated in a disequilibrium framework, emphasizing particularly the role of price adjustment.
TL;DR: It is found that substantial inequalities do remain in the distribution of health resources, and that these differentials are principally associated with levels of urban income and urbanization, but these differences in health resource availability do not appear to explain the significant variation which persists in mortality levels.
Abstract: Using cross-section data, this paper provides a statistical assessment of the extent to which health resources are evenly distributed in China, and the degree to which improvements in health resource availability may account for the observed variation in mortality levels. Contrary to expectation, the analysis finds that substantial inequalities do remain in the distribution of health resources, and that these differentials are principally associated with levels of urban income and urbanization. However, these differences in health resource availability do not appear to explain the significant variation which also persists in mortality levels, a finding consistent with the results of similar analyses for developed countries