This paper investigates the impact of stock markets and banks on economic growth using a panel data set for the period 1976-98 and applying recent GMM techniques developed for dynamic panels. Econometrically, the paper illustrates the differences that emerge from different panel procedures. On balance, we find that stock markets and banks positively influence economic growth and these findings ...

Business credit lags GDP growth by about one year. This contributes to high leverage during recessions and slow deleveraging. We show that a model in which firms use risky long-term debt replicates this adjustment of firm debt. In the model, slow-moving has important effects for real activity. High levels issued expansions are only gradually reduced recessions. generates an adverse feedback loo...

This paper investigates the role of structural reforms – privatization, financial reform and trade liberalization– as determinants of FDI inflows based on newly constructed dataset on structural reforms for 19 Latin American and 25 Eastern European countries between 1989 and 2004. Our main finding is a strong empirical relationship from reforms to FDI, in particular, from financial liberalizati...

This paper examines the relationship between household income shocks and child labor. In particular, we investigate the extent to which transitory income shocks lead to increases in child labor and whether household asset holdings mitigate the effects of these shocks. Using data from a household panel survey in Tanzania, we find that both relationships are significant. We investigate mechanisms...

This paper investigates the impact of stock markets and banks on economic growth using a panel data set for the period 1976-98 and applying recent GMM techniques developed for dynamic panels. On balance, we find that stock markets and banks positively influence economic growth and these findings are not due to potential biases induced by simultaneity, omitted variables or unobserved country-spe...

This paper shows how the productive interplay of theory and experimental work has furthered our understanding of credit markets in developing countries. Descriptive facts motivated a body of theory, which in turned motivated experiments designed to test it. Results from these experiments reveal both the success and the limits of the theory, prompting new work to refine it. We argue that the lit...

This paper extends the model of Fielding (1999), which is designed to explain changes in investment in South Africa during the Apartheid period, by allowing a role for indicators of political instability and political and civil rights, as measured by Fedderke et al. (1999). The conclusions based on estimation of the original model are robust to the inclusion of the political factors, but these ...

This paper shows how the productive interplay of theory and experimental work has furthered our understanding of credit markets in developing countries. Descriptive facts motivated a body of theory, which in turned motivated experiments designed to test it. Results from these experiments reveal both the success and the limits of the theory, prompting new work to refine it. We argue that the lit...

This article discusses the impact of dollarization in Ecuador, Panama and El Salvador as well Argentine convertibility system. We found that adoption a more stable currency has had positive results those countries.
 Key words: Dollarization, Inflation, Central Bank, Balance Trade, Gold Standard, Cash Ratio, Exports, Flexible Exchange Rates.
 JEL Classification: E42, E44, E58.
 Re...

U.S. commercial banks are increasingly using credit scoring models to underwrite small business credits. This paper discusses this technology, evaluates the research findings on the effects of this technology on small business credit availability, and links these findings to a number of research and public policy issues. JEL classification: G21, G28, G34, L23