This paper looks at the reasons for Canada’s low business research and development (R&D) intensity. R&D performance across OECD countries is examined, and a detailed decomposition is undertaken of differences between Canadian and U.S. R&D levels across industries. Canada’s low aggregate R&D...

This paper summarizes the literature on economic growth. This literature suggests that investment in machinery and equipment (M&E) could foster economic growth. But, because of the need to cover the fixed costs of innovating, price is higher than the marginal cost and there will be...

This paper looks at the increasing trend around the world to evaluate the quantity and quality of universities’ research output. Evaluations can provide a useful role in clarifying the performance of university research, and give incentives to increase research output and quality because of...

Given the framework of the 1984 Canada Health Act, the health status of immigrants should be similar to average levels within whole of Canada. Yet, assuming equality of health status between immigrant and non-immigrants, or between immigrant groups is likely an unrealistic and simplistic...

Resource-rich countries have to manage highly volatile commodity revenues. In periods of revenue booms there is a tendency for large spending scale-ups. When facing large and persistent reductions in commodity prices, some of these countries will need to adjust their budgets to the new reality....

This paper discusses efficiency considerations underlying the widespread exemption of food from sales and value added taxes, in contrast to the distributional considerations usually used to justify them, analyzing the implications for tax policy. Although there are increasing returns in both...

We evaluate efficiency considerations underlying the widespread exemption of food from sales and value added taxes and the implications for tax policy. Household and restaurant meals and both constant and increasing returns cases are examined. Higher taxes on food offset the non-taxation of time...