Does MENA's Governance Lead to Spatial Agglomeration and Disparities?

Ganiou Mijiyawa, Abdoul; Kremer, Alexander; Whitmore, Loic

Does MENA's Governance Lead to Spatial Agglomeration and Disparities?

2011

Ganiou Mijiyawa, Abdoul | Kremer, Alexander | Whitmore, Loic

In this paper the author analyze the link between spatial agglomeration, spatial disparities and political governance with an emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The agglomeration index and the urban-rural consumption ratio are used respectively as a measurement of spatial agglomeration and spatial disparities. The author distinguishes two aspects of political governance: political rights and political stability. Statistically, we find that agglomeration rate is higher in MENA, whereas the indexes of political rights and political stability are lower in MENA compared to the rest of the world and other lower middle income countries. When running the regressions, the data better fit the agglomeration model than the urban-rural consumption ratio model. Using cross-sectional data for 182 countries around the world, the author find that the political rights index is negatively and significantly linked to the agglomeration rate. Our results suggest that an improvement in MENA countries' level of political rights to the average of the rest of the world would be associated with agglomeration rate 4 percentage points lower than its average level in the region. The data also reveal an inverted-U relationship between the agglomeration rate and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, and a negative relationship between trade openness and the agglomeration rate.

Show more [+]

AGROVOC Keywords

accountability agricultural population agriculture debt decentralization democracy developing countries development economics econometric models economic concentration economic development economic geography economic growth economic integration exports family planning fertility food security hiv human capital income industrialization international trade inventories labour force land tenure living standards migration millennium development goals natural resources nutrition political institutions political parties political science population density public debt public expenditure public policies public sector public services rural areas rural development social development social sciences statistical analysis taxation telecommunications trade liberalization transportation urban areas urban development urban population urbanization

Bibliographic information

Other Subjects

Cultural change; High growth; Investment climate; Country size; Average level; Average performance; Policy options; Negative link; Business environment; Citizens; Large population; Political instability; Inequality; Policy research; Empirical literature; Low income; Level of development; Governance quality; Gdp; Progress; Political stability; Political economy; Economic research; Population size; Labor market; Trade policy; Dependent variable; Country classification; Total factor productivity; Economic history; General equilibrium analysis; Political process; Explanatory factors; Economic activity; Cross-sectional data; Tax system; Significant effect; Significant relationship; Negative effect; Primate city; Economic transformation; Econometric analysis; Political rights; Urbanization rate; Policy implications; Positive effect; Regional inequality; Economic performance; National governments; Regional growth; Cross-country analysis; Competitiveness; Sector employment; Measurement errors; Data set; Foreign exchange; Mean value; Inverted-u relationship; Increasing returns; Positive correlation; Economic policy; Empirical evidence; Income inequality; Low income countries; Governance indicators; National development; Economic review; Median voter; Job creation; Local governments; Macroeconomic management; Policy makers; Gdp per capita; Policy research working paper; Purchasing power; Rural populations; Purchasing power parity; Significant differences; External accountability; International comparisons; Explanatory variable; Economic opportunities; Regional differences; Negative relationship; Middle income countries

Language

English

In AGRIS since: 2021-06-15

Format: AGRIS AP

Data Provider

This bibliographic record has been provided by World Bank

Discover this data provider's collection in AGRIS

Links

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/27377

Lookup at Google Scholar

If you notice any incorrect information relating to this record, please contact us at [email protected]

FAO AGRIS - International System for Agricultural Science and Technology

Share

Does MENA's Governance Lead to Spatial Agglomeration and Disparities?

2011

AGROVOC Keywords

Bibliographic information