Showing papers in "Revista De Historia Economica in 2007"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assessed the long run economic progress in modern Spain and its performance placed in European perspective and established three main phases: 1850-1950, 1951-1974 and 1975-2000.
Abstract: Long run economic progress in modern Spain is assessed in this paper and its performance placed in European perspective. Over one and a half centuries, income per person rose 15 times. Three main phases can be established: 1850–1950, 1951–1974 and 1975–2000. Spain underperformed in the long run mostly due to its sluggish growth in specific phases of the century prior to 1950. Catching up took place in the late twentieth century, in which the years 1959–74 stand out. Structural change contributed significantly to growth acceleration while lack of exposition to international competition represents a recurrent element of retardation.
54 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey of Latin America's immigration from the late nineteenth century to 1930 is presented, which assesses inferences about European migrants in Latin America derived from the experience of migrants in the United States and questions its validity.
Abstract: Not all Europeans migrated to the United States. Between 1879 and 1930 around 13 million of Europeans went to Latin America; however, Latin America is not fully incorporated into current debates on the cost and benefits from Atlantic migration. This paper surveys Latin America's immigration from the late nineteenth century to 1930. It assesses inferences about European migrants in Latin America derived from the experience of migrants in the United States and questions its validity. The topics covered here include migration trends and chronology, national origin of the flows and the evolution of real wages. New data on the cost of passages for transatlantic migration is also presented. This is followed by an examination of the immigrants' contribution to economic growth in Latin America dealing basically with the issue of human capital brought in by European immigrants. The extent to which immigrants alter the composition of the labour force and the demographic structure, both in the short and the long run is also examined.
51 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented the first results of an on-going study of large Spanish family firms, focusing on the survival and competitiveness of almost 250 family firms and concluded that this reality is not just the result of two decades of integration in Europe or a fortunate endowment with some natural resources, but the outcome of a long learning process and the combination of two factors: specialization in market niches in which the state had no strategic interests and the creation of personal networks of cooperation and influence within and outside Spain.
Abstract: This study presents the first results of an on-going study of longevity of large Spanish family firms. Its main objective is to provide solid data for a topic in which opinions are more abundant than scientific statistics, as well as to identify the keys to the survival and competitiveness of the almost 250 firms included in the study. It concludes that this reality is not just the result of two decades of integration in Europe or a fortunate endowment with some natural resources, but the outcome of a long learning process and the combination of two factors: specialization in market niches in which the state had no strategic interests and the creation of personal networks of cooperation and influence within and outside Spain.
43 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present recent estimates of average heights for different regions of Argentina during the period 1850-1950, taken from registers of prisoners and military recruits, serve to question some traditional views of Argentine economic growth based on income and wage data.
Abstract: espanolEste ensayo presenta resultados de estimaciones de estaturas medias para diversas regiones de Argentina durante el periodo 1850-1950. Esta evidencia, tomada de registros de reclutas y prisioneros, es utilizada para cuestionar algunas de las generalizaciones sobre el crecimiento economico argentino, basadas en datos de ingresos per-capita y salarios. Se sostiene que, en terminos de estatus nutricional y de salud, la era del progreso liberal derramo menos bienestar que el esperado. Algo similar ocurrio con el crecimiento agro-exportador de principios del siglo XX. Por el contrario, el periodo conocido como la «gran demora» ?el periodo de inter-guerras? fue testigo de notables aumentos de bienestar biologico, particularmente en la decada de 1930. Se sugiere tambien que durante la segunda guerra mundial y los primeros gobiernos peronistas, las estimaciones sobre alturas indican un retraso nutricional y de salud en el conurbano bonaerense. El ensayo presenta ademas datos sobre la distribucion regional de las alturas, que reflejan un alto grado de desigualdad regional hacia la decada de 1920. EnglishThis essay presents recent estimates of average heights for different regions of Argentina during the period 1850-1950. This evidence, taken from registers of prisoners and military recruits, serves to question some traditional views of Argentine economic growth based on income and wage data. The essay suggests that the era of liberal progress resulted in less welfare among the lower classes than is usually assumed. A similar situation occurred during the agrarian-export growth of the first decade of the 20th century. In contrast, the period known as the «great delay» witnessed notable improvements in biological welfare, particularly during the 1930s. In addition, height estimates indicate that during WWII and the first Peronist administrations there was a nutritional setback in the Buenos Aires industrial belt. Data on the provincial distribution of heights for the 1920s show an important degree of regional inequality.
30 citations
TL;DR: The authors analyzes the comportamiento de la distribucion del ingreso and la riqueza in las economias templadas de reciente colonizacion europea and its influence sobre the configuracion productiva and comercial.
Abstract: Este trabajo analiza el comportamiento de la distribucion del ingreso y la riqueza en las economias templadas de reciente colonizacion europea y su influencia sobre la configuracion productiva y comercial. Para ello, se adopta una perspectiva comparada entre los distintos patrones de desarrollo durante el periodo 1870-1940. Se consideran dos canales para interpretar las relaciones entre patron distributivo y estructura productivo-comercial: la demanda agregada y los factores institucionales y geograficos. El analisis se concentra en cuatro de las causas proximas de la especializacion: capacidad de aprendizaje, innovacion y progreso tecnico, acumulacion de capital fisico y formacion de capital humano. La evidencia senala que economias con alta inequidad tienden hacia una estructura economica con reducida incorporacion de conocimiento en la produccion y bajo valor agregado. En consecuencia, evidencian peores desempenos en el largo plazo que otras economias que presentan un patron distributivo mas equitativo
16 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the relationship between the nature of Spanish savings banks and the extent of their market success during the twentieth century and explored the key factors which have made such a good performance possible, including their ability to promote private saving, to cooperate with government economic policy, to adapt to changing circumstances, to operate in particular geographical areas, and to cooper with one another.
Abstract: This paper explores the relationship between the nature of Spanish savings banks and the extent of their market success during the twentieth century. It deals with the key factors which have made such a good performance possible, including their ability to promote private saving, to cooperate with government economic policy, to adapt to changing circumstances, to operate in particular geographical areas, and to cooperate with one another. Finally, the paper deals in depth with this last factor. The competitive cooperation model is used to explain the outstanding role of the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks in making the strategic alliance between the Spanish savings banks possible.
15 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the Spanish translation of a conspicuous agronomic work by F. Rozier, a French author, has been studied, focusing on the reception that Jovellanos' Informe de Ley Agraria (1795) known in Spain.
Abstract: The frame of this work is the reception that Jovellanos' Informe de Ley Agraria (1795) known in Spain. It is specially focused on the Spanish translation of a conspicuous agronomic work by F. Rozier, a French author. The translation was induced by the Informe and was elaborated by J. Alvarez Guerra. It has been considered as a notorious achievement of the Spanish agronomic movement of the Enlightenment. Nevertheless, the translator's «Discurso Preliminar» has not already been studied. This «Discurso» included an entire summary of the economic ideas of the French Physiocracy, so it allows us to consider it as a Physiocrat alternative of the Jovellano's Informe. Two different issues are particularly involved by this research: firstly, the influence of Physiocracy in Spain was stronger than it has been recognised; secondly, free trade was consubstantial to the Spanish economic program of the Enlightenment, although always as a minority option.
11 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used the theoretical and empirical contributions of recent international literature on the determinants of long run economic growth to explain the historical origin of the enormous regional economic inequalities which characterize Colombia.
Abstract: This paper uses the theoretical and empirical contributions of recent international literature on the determinants of long run economic growth to explain the historical origin of the enormous regional economic inequalities which characterize Colombia. The results indicate that geography and culture are not direct determinants of differences in regional per capita income. Nevertheless, geography did play a central but indirect role through its influence on settlement patterns during the colonial period. Although econometric estimations indicate that the colonial legacy influenced contemporary differences in regional income, it is not clear if this effect operates via the institutions or human capital.
10 citations
TL;DR: Portugal, a poor and small kingdom, became a pioneering mercantile state thanks to its Discoveries as mentioned in this paper, and it established its fiscal institutions as a world power in the 19th century.
Abstract: Portugal, a poor and small kingdom, became a pioneering mercantile state thanks to its Discoveries. When did Portugal establish its fiscal institutions as a world power? Was such a powerful maritime nation,
7 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors study the definition of Smithian freedom, which makes any imposition on the independent and creative activity «costly», and explain how Adam Smith treated the topic of the provision of private and public goods in the Wealth of the Nations.
Abstract: In Adam's Smith theory, economic hierarchies cannot reduce market transaction costs. To demonstrate this thesis, the article studies the definition of Smithian freedom, which makes any imposition on the independent and creative activity «costly». It also explains how Adam Smith treats the topic of the provision of private and public goods in the Wealth of the Nations. Therefore, on the one hand, the nature of the firm, which supplies private goods, is described; on the other hand, it studies the provision of public goods, that is to say, in the case of Smith's theory, the institutions that ease trade in general and the ones that ease the instruction of the people.
7 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze various transformations that took place within the Spanish colonial trade before the implementation of the 1778 free trade regulations, showing the changes in the pattern of trade caused by the adoption in 1739 of the system of register ships (single «registered» ships), which resulted in the cancellation of the traditional system of fleets.
Abstract: This article analyses various transformations that took place within the Spanish colonial trade before the implementation of the 1778 free trade regulations. Firstly it shows the changes in the pattern of trade caused by the adoption in 1739 of the system of register ships (single «registered» ships), which resulted in the cancellation of the traditional system of fleets. Secondly it examines the role of transatlantic mail in shaping a new, increasingly retail-oriented pattern of trade. Finally, it deals with the evolution of the flow of commercial information crossing the Atlantic, stressing the growing impact of fashion. The primary sources used are mainly letters belonging to Spanish merchants that were confiscated by the British during the eighteenth-century wars.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyze the relationship between crisis and growth in Latin America and conclude that the future of Latin America will be one of "no crisis and very modest growth".
Abstract: espanolEn este articulo uso datos historicos para analizar la relacion entre crisis y crecimiento en America Latina. Calculo en cuanto se ha reducido el PIB per capita en la region como consecuencia de las recurrentes crisis externas. Analizo, tambien, los principales determinantes de las crisis de balanzas de pagos. La principal conclusion es que es poco probable que America Latina experimente, en promedio, una mejora importante en su crecimiento en el largo plazo. Es posible que algunos paises experimenten un cierto progreso en su convergencia con los paises avanzados. Esto, sin embargo no sera la norma; la mayoria de los paises latinoamericanos se atrasaran en relacion a los paises asiaticos y otros paises en desarrollo emergentes. Mi analisis tambien sugiere que en el futuro el tipo de crisis catastroficas, tan comunes en la region, afectaran a un menor numero de paises. El futuro de America Latina sera «Sin crisis y con un crecimiento muy modesto». EnglishIn this paper I use historical data to analyze the relationship between crises and growth in Latin America. I calculate by how much the region?s GDP per capita has been reduced as a consequence of the recurrence of external crises. I also analyze the determinants of major balance of payments crises. The main conclusion is that it is unlikely that Latin America will, on average, experience a major improvement in long run growth in the future. It is possible that some countries will make progress in catching up with the advanced nations. This, however, will not be the norm; most Latin American countries are likely to fall further behind in relation to the Asian countries and other emerging nations. Not everything, however, is grim. My analysis also suggests that fewer Latin America countries will be subject to the type of catastrophic crises that affected the region in the past. Latin America?s future will be one of «No crises and very modest growth».
TL;DR: In this paper, the Penn World Table, the CEPAL statistics and the OLAD data base for the period 1950-2000, and considering a sample of 18 Latin American countries, the authors tried to test for convergence within the region.
Abstract: espanolUsando la informacion contenida en las Penn World Table las estadisticas de la CEPAL y la base de datos OLAD para el periodo 1950-2000, y considerando una muestra de 18 paises Latinoamericanos, este articulo pretende estudiar el proceso de convergencia que se da entre ellos. Los resultados obtenidos utilizando tecnicas de datos de panel nos permiten hablar de convergencia solo en un sentido condicional. Realmente, encontramos que el principal factor que explica el proceso de crecimiento y convergencia en esta region es el nivel de capital humano. Esta variable ha sido construida usando la metodologia de Componentes principales y tomando en consideracion variables tales como la tasa de matricula en educacion primaria y secundaria, el numero de habitantes por medico, la esperanza de vida, la mortalidad infantil y la tasa de dependencia. EnglishUsing the Penn World Table, the CEPAL statistics and the OLAD data base for the period 1950-2000, and considering a sample of 18 Latin American countries, this paper tries to test for convergence within the region. The results from a panel data approach only allow us to speak about convergence in a conditional sense. In fact, one of the main factors behind both economic growth and the catching up process in the region is the level of human capital. This variable has been constructed using Principal Components methodology and taking into consideration primary and secondary school enrolment ratios, the number of inhabitants per doctor, life expectancy, the infant mortality rate and the dependency rate.