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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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Robert S. McNamara, President of the World Bank Group, says the relationship between two fundamental requirements need to be examined: the necessity for economic development; and the preservation of the environment. He outlines the steps the Bank is taking to deal with the ramifications of that relationship and illustrates practical measures that are proving to be both feasible and effective. He suggests the most useful direction for the international development community is to assist in the economic advance of the developing countries while responsibly preserving and enhancing the environment. He points out that the broad statistical evidence is clear that there is dangerously skewed distribution of income both within developing nations, and between the collectively affluent and the collectively indigent nations. He reemphasizes that development cannot succeed unless that massively distorted distribution of income is brought into a reasonable balance. He also suggests that what is needed is the close cooperation of economists and ecologists, of social and physical scientists, of experienced political leaders and development project specialists. He briefs about five essential requirements to assist in preserving and enhancing the environment. First, recognize that economic growth in the developing countries is essential if they are to deal with their human problems. Second, act on the evidence that such growth need not cause unacceptable ecological penalties. Third, assist the developing countries in their choice of a pattern of growth which will yield a combination of high economic gain with low environmental risk. Fourth, provide external support required for that economic advance by moving more rapidly toward meeting the United Nations concessionary aid target and by dismantling and discarding inequitable trade barriers which restrict exports from poorer countries. Fifth, realize that human degradation is the most dangerous pollutant there is. He says that the impetus for this conference is respect for man and his home and that respect can be translated into practical action. The leading edge of that action is to protect man from the one hazard which can injure not only his habitat and his health, but his spirit as well. He concludes that poverty is cruel and senseless, but curable. The task, he urges, is not to create an idyllic environment peopled by the poor, but to create a decent environment peopled by the proud.

Agricultural Sector --- Climate Change and Environment --- Debt --- Developed Countries --- Developing Countries --- Development Patterns and Poverty --- Economic Development --- Environment --- Exchange Rates --- Income Distribution --- Inequality --- Official Development Assistance --- Per Capita Income --- Poverty Line --- Protectionism --- Trade Liberalization

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Low and highly volatile growth define Africa's growth experience. But there is no evidence that growth volatility is associated to long term economic performance. This result may be misleading if it suggests that volatility is not important for economic and social progress. In this paper we use a variant of the method developed by Hausmann, Pritchett, and Rodrik (2005) to identify both growth acceleration and deceleration episodes in Africa between 1975 and 2005. The authors find that Africa has had numerous growth acceleration episodes in the last 30 years, but also nearly a comparable number of growth collapses, offsetting most of the benefits of growth. Had Africa avoided its growth collapses, it would have grown 1.7 percent a year instead of 0.7 percent, and its GDP per capita would have been more than 30 percent higher in 2005. The authors also find that growth accelerations and decelerations have an asymmetric impact on human development outcomes. Finally, our results suggest that it is easier to identify the likely institutional and policy origins of growth decelerations than of growth accelerations.

Country Data --- Economic Conditions --- Economic Conditions and Volatility --- Economic Growth --- Economic Performance --- Governance --- Governance Indicators --- Growth Performance --- Growth Rate --- Growth Rates --- Health, Nutrition and Population --- Human Development --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Nutrition --- Per Capita Income --- Poverty Reduction --- Pro-Poor Growth --- Public Policy --- Social Outcomes

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Despite its heavy human, financial, and economic cost, the recent global recession provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the knowledge from several decades of growth research, draw policy lessons from the experience of successful countries, and explore new approaches going forward. In an increasingly globalized world where fighting poverty is not only a moral responsibility but also a strategy for confronting some of the major problems (diseases, malnutrition, insecurity and violence) that ignore boundaries and contribute to global insecurity, thinking about new ways of generating and sustaining growth is a crucial task for economists. This paper reassesses the evolution of knowledge on growth and suggests a new structural approach to the analysis. It offers a brief, critical review of lessons learned from growth research and examines the remaining challenges - especially from the policy standpoint. It highlights how the 2008 Growth Commission Report identifies the stylized facts associated with sustained and inclusive growth. And it explains how the new structural economics provides a consistent framework for understanding the key findings of the Report.

Achieving Shared Growth --- Business cycles --- Classical economists --- Development economics --- Economic Growth --- Economic growth --- Economic historians --- Economic performance --- Economic Theory & Research --- Economics --- Economists --- Financial crisis --- Fiscal policies --- GDP --- Growth projections --- Growth theory --- Inequality --- Living standards --- Macroeconomic analysis --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Moral responsibility --- National income --- Per capita income --- Political Economy --- Poverty Reduction --- Wealth --- Wealth creation

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Argentinean export growth was impressive during the recent economic boom (2003-2007). However, decomposing export growth reveals that the extensive margin (increases in exports of existing products to existing markets) dominates, while the intensive margin (increases in exports of new products or new markets) contributes little to export growth. Argentina's trade product concentration has increased in the past 10 years, and the main export products remain overwhelmingly natural-resource intensive. The little diversification of non-primary exports limits the country's ability to weather a decline in export commodity prices. The country has had some success finding new export markets, especially in Latin America, but should seek to develop deeper trade relationships with high GDP export destinations such as the European Union and the United States. Another challenge going forward is the relatively low sophistication of exports and limited integration into the global production chains, falling behind regional competitors such as Brazil. This calls for policy measures to improve the ability of existing firms to innovate and compete successfully in global markets.

Agriculture --- Consumers --- Devaluation --- Economic boom --- Economic Theory & Research --- Emerging Markets --- Export growth --- Exports --- Free Trade --- GDP --- GDP per capita --- Growth rate --- Income --- International Economics and Trade --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Natural resources --- Per capita income --- Private Sector Development --- Profit margins --- Tariff barriers --- Trade balance --- Trade liberalization --- Trade Policy --- Transport --- Transport Economics Policy & Planning --- Undervaluation --- Value added --- WTO