Modelling the asymmetric impact of defence spending on economic growth : An evidence from non-linear ARDL and multipliers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the non-linear impact of defence spending on economic growth for the USA, the UK and Russia by using quarterly frequency from 1992 to 2014. Design/methodology/approach The unit root property is tested by ADF and PP unit root test. Further, BDS test is applied to test the linear independence. To verify the results of BDS test, we apply short and long-run symmetry test. The cointegration non-linear relationship is examined by NARDL approach. Further, Multipliers predict the speed of adjustments by considering the nonlinearity. Findings The short and long-run symmetry test confirms the existence of asymmetry in all countries. Further, asymmetric cointegration is confirmed through Wald statistics of Pesaran and Banerjee for all countries. The long-run asymmetric coefficient predicts negative and significant impact of defence spending on economic growth for the USA and the UK, but, these impacts were positive and significant in the case of Russia. The multiplier effect of defence spending on economic growth confirms the findings of NARDL model. Originality/value This study contributes in existing literature by applying newly developed non-linear ARDL approach, including a Wald test for long and short-run symmetry, asymmetric cointegration and asymmetric long run parameters in case of the USA, the UK and Russia.