Growth in Transition: What We Know, What We Don'T, and What We Should

75 Pages Posted: 17 Jun 2002

See all articles by Nauro F. Campos

Nauro F. Campos

University College London; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - The William Davidson Institute; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Fabrizio Coricelli

University of Siena - Department of Political and International Sciences ; Paris School of Economics (PSE); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 2002

Abstract

This essay surveys macroeconomic issues that marked the transition from centrally planned to market economy in Central and Eastern European and former Soviet Union countries. We first establish a set of stylized facts of the transition so far, namely: (1) output fell, (2) capital shrank, (3) labor moved, (4) trade reoriented, (5) the structure changed, (6) institutions collapsed, and (7) transition costs. We then critically survey the theoretical literature on transition, discussing various explanations for the initial output fall as well as medium term issues, such as optimal speed of transition, disorganization, institutions and sectoral reallocation as a source of output dynamics. Last, we review the empirical literature to assess how well it translates the theoretical models and explains the stylized facts. The essay concludes with a succinct list of suggestions for future research.

Keywords: Economic Growth, Transition Economies

JEL Classification: E23, O40, P20, P52

Suggested Citation

Campos, Nauro F. and Coricelli, Fabrizio, Growth in Transition: What We Know, What We Don'T, and What We Should (February 2002). William Davidson Institute Working Paper Number 470, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=314230 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.314230

Nauro F. Campos

University College London ( email )

Gower Street
London, WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - The William Davidson Institute

724 E. University Ave.
Wyly Hall
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Fabrizio Coricelli (Contact Author)

University of Siena - Department of Political and International Sciences ( email )

Via Mattioli, 10
Siena, 53100
Italy

Paris School of Economics (PSE)

48 Boulevard Jourdan
Paris, 75014 75014
France

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom