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The paper uses repeated cross-sections of Bulgaria's household survey data (1995, 1997, 2001, and 2003) and a comparable list of durable goods to investigate the dynamics and distribution of durable goods over time, including during the economic crisis of 1996-1997 and the subsequent period of relatively robust economic growth leading up to European Union membership. It examines the dynamics of the ownership of durable goods by wealth classes, geographic locations, and various ethnic groups, including the Roma. In the aggregate, there was convergence between the poorest and the richest classes in the ownership of durable goods between 1995 and 2003, with the poorest class making a significant gain between 2001 and 2003 after having lost some ground between 1995 and 2001. There was also convergence in the ownership of durable goods between urban and rural residents. However, there appear to be some diverging tendencies between Bulgarians and the minority ethnic groups, particularly in the ownership of relatively more expensive goods such as personal computers and cars.

Assets --- Currencies and Exchange Rates --- Debt Markets --- Durable Goods --- Economic growth --- Economic Theory and Research --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- Growth rate --- Income measures --- Macroeconomic policies --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- National economy --- Per capita income --- Real GDP --- Wealth

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Nigeria's oil boom has not brought an end to perennial stagnation in the non-oil economy. Is this the unavoidable consequence of the resource boom or have misguided policies contributed? This paper indicates that the extreme volatility of expenditure rather than Dutch Disease effects are behind the disappointing non-oil growth record. Fiscal policies failed to smooth highly volatile oil income; on the contrary government expenditure was more volatile than oil income. The authors provide econometric evidence showing that volatility of expenditure was increased by debt overhang problems. Moreover, they also find evidence of voracity effects that exacerbated expenditure volatility prior to 1984.

Access to Finance --- Bank Policy --- Commodity prices --- Debt --- Debt Markets --- Debt Overhang --- Economic Theory and Research --- Emerging Markets --- Expenditure --- Exporters --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- Fiscal policies --- Government expenditure --- Macroeconomic policies --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Oil boom --- Private Sector Development --- Public Sector Expenditure Analysis and Management

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This paper examines the relationship between openness and within-country regional inequality across 28 countries over the period 1975-2005, paying special attention to whether increases in global trade affect the developed and developing world differently. Using a combination of static and dynamic panel data analysis, we find that while increases in trade per se do not lead to greater territorial polarization, in combination with certain country-specific conditions, trade has a positive and significant association with regional inequality. In particular, states with higher inter-regional differences in sector endowments, a lower share of government expenditure, and a combination of high internal transaction costs with a higher degree of coincidence between the regional income distribution and regional foreign market access positions have experienced the greatest rise in territorial inequality when exposed to greater trade flows. This means that changes in trade regimes have had a more polarizing effect in low and middle-income countries, whose structural features tend to potentiate the trade effect and whose levels of internal spatial inequality are, on average, significantly higher than in high-income countries.

Agriculture --- Comparative advantage --- Comparative advantages --- Competitiveness --- Dynamic analysis --- Econometric analysis --- Economic geography --- Economic growth --- Economic integration --- Economic Theory & Research --- Emerging Markets --- Exports --- Free Trade --- GDP --- GDP per capita --- Human capital --- Income --- International Economics and Trade --- International trade --- Macroeconomic policies --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Middle income countries --- Private Sector Development --- Purchasing power --- Real GDP --- Regional Economic Development --- Rent seeking --- Trade Policy

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This paper examines the relationship between openness and within-country regional inequality across 28 countries over the period 1975-2005, paying special attention to whether increases in global trade affect the developed and developing world differently. Using a combination of static and dynamic panel data analysis, we find that while increases in trade per se do not lead to greater territorial polarization, in combination with certain country-specific conditions, trade has a positive and significant association with regional inequality. In particular, states with higher inter-regional differences in sector endowments, a lower share of government expenditure, and a combination of high internal transaction costs with a higher degree of coincidence between the regional income distribution and regional foreign market access positions have experienced the greatest rise in territorial inequality when exposed to greater trade flows. This means that changes in trade regimes have had a more polarizing effect in low and middle-income countries, whose structural features tend to potentiate the trade effect and whose levels of internal spatial inequality are, on average, significantly higher than in high-income countries.

Agriculture --- Comparative advantage --- Comparative advantages --- Competitiveness --- Dynamic analysis --- Econometric analysis --- Economic geography --- Economic growth --- Economic integration --- Economic Theory & Research --- Emerging Markets --- Exports --- Free Trade --- GDP --- GDP per capita --- Human capital --- Income --- International Economics and Trade --- International trade --- Macroeconomic policies --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Middle income countries --- Private Sector Development --- Purchasing power --- Real GDP --- Regional Economic Development --- Rent seeking --- Trade Policy

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Trade has proven to be a powerful engine of growth worldwide. But not all countries have benefited equally. Despite much effort to use trade policy to catalyze exports, many developing countries have failed to achieve successful, sustainable export and economic growth. Even with the benefit of preferential market access, many developing country exporters face a broad and diverse set of constraints that limit their potential to compete in export markets. This paper discusses the concept of "competitiveness" with respect to trade and the various dimensions on which trade competitiveness might be assessed. It argues there is a need for a framework by which trade competitiveness can be assessed in a systematic way. Inspired by the "growth diagnostics" approach, it outlines a possible framework for assessing factors that facilitate or constrain trade competitiveness.

Comparative Advantage --- Competitive Advantage --- Currencies and Exchange Rates --- E-Business --- Economic growth --- Economic research --- Economic Theory & Research --- Economies of scale --- Environment --- Environmental Economics & Policies --- Exchange rates --- Export growth --- Exports --- Externalities --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- GDP --- Human capital --- International Trade --- Macroeconomic policies --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Markets and Market Access --- Natural endowments --- Private Sector Development --- Productivity --- Total factor productivity --- Trade barriers --- Trade Competitiveness --- Trade policy --- Wages