In macroeconomic dynamic models the speed at which output converges to its steady state is of outstanding interest. Theoretical investigations usually focus on the asymptotic speed of convergence only. This procedure is, however, unnecessarily restrictive and hides important information. The...

Integration affects economic growth mainly through two different channels : The scale-effect channel and the factor-reallocation channel. In order to investigate both channels within a unifying framework, we employ a simple descriptive growth model. The scale-effect channel increases either the...

Four stylised facts of aggregate economic growth are set up initially. The growth process is interpreted to represent transitional dynamics rather than balanced-growth equilibria. Against this background, the fundamental importance of subsistence consumption is comprehensively analysed....

This paper sets up a simple AK-type growth model with heterogeneous consumption goods. It is shown that the (overall) intertemporal elasticity of substitution, the saving rate, and the growth rate of income unambiguously increase in the course of economic development. Moreover, the model offers...

Does international financial integration boost economic growth? The empirical literature has not yet established a robust link between openness to the international capital market and economic growth. In this paper we turn to the economic history of the first era of financial globalization...