Measuring the Dissemination of Volatility across Levels of Development

Abstract

Using levels of democratic development as a proxy for economic development, and using a 2SLS GMM dynamic panel estimation methodology, we investigate the degree and direction of dissemination in the volatility of economic growth. Our findings indicate two essential points. First, there are differences along the democratic continuum of the ability of a countrys economic growth volatility to affect other countries. Thus, an economic recession for example in one country, does not affect all countries equally across regime type. Second, growth volatility is not simply a North-South phenomenon, but a South-South phenomenon as well. In fact, the empirical patterns found here call into question the usefulness of relying on even these simple, dichotomous views of the world.