Causal Links Between Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Romania

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Causal Links Between Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Romania Journal of Risk and Financial Management Article Causal Links between Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Romania Malsha Mayoshi Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage, Gheorghe Epuran * and Bianca Tescas, iu Faculty of Economics Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, Universitatii Street, No. 1, Building A, 500068 Brasov, Romania; [email protected] (M.M.R.M.); [email protected] (B.T.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: In this increasingly globalized era, foreign direct investments are considered to be one of the most important sources of external financing for all countries. This paper investigates the causal relationship between trade openness and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Romania during the period 1997–2019. Throughout this study, Trade Openness is the main independent variable, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Real Effective Exchange Rate (EXR), Inflation (INF), and Education (EDU) act as control variables for investigating the relationships between trade openness (TOP) and FDI inflow in Romania. The Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds test procedure was adopted to achieve the above-mentioned objective. Trade openness has negative and statistically significant long-run and short-run relationships with FDI inflows in Romania throughout the period. Trade openness negatively affects the FDI inflow, which suggest that the higher the level of openness is, the less likely it is that FDI will be attracted in the long run. The result of the Granger causality test indicated that Romania has a unidirectional relationship between trade openness and FDI. It also Citation: Rathnayaka showed that the direction of causality ran from FDI to trade openness. Mudiyanselage, Malsha Mayoshi, Gheorghe Epuran, and Bianca Keywords: foreign direct investment; trade openness; ARDL model Romania; panel data analysis Tescas, iu. 2021. Causal Links between Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Romania. Journal of Risk and Financial Management 14: 90. 1. Introduction https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14030090 Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows play an increasingly strong role in economic development and progress of countries, and are considered to be one of the major drivers Academic Editor: Shuddhasattwa Rafiq of globalization. In general, FDI is a crucial component of development of host countries, and results in capital, external financing, infrastructure, technology, skills and market Received: 27 January 2021 access, etc. Most policy makers and economists believe that FDI can positively affect their Accepted: 12 February 2021 Published: 24 February 2021 countries. In recent years, most emerging and developing countries have implemented various economic reforms to restructure their economies in order to attract more FDI. In Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral general, changing global economic situations, policy changes, and political environment with regard to jurisdictional claims in have a crucial impact on foreign direct investment. FDI decisions depend on a variety of published maps and institutional affil- characteristics of the host country, such as market size and potential, exchange rate, trade iations. openness, political stability or risk, labor costs, trade costs, investment costs, trade deficit, human capital, tax, inflation, budget deficit, etc. Many empirical studies have indicated that various aspects—such as trade openness and foreign direct investment—might influence a country’s economic development. There are many definitions concerning trade openness in the literature. Trade openness is defined as Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. the sum of imports and exports normalized by the gross domestic product. This is the most This article is an open access article common and convenient measurement, and has been used in a variety of international studies distributed under the terms and (Adow and Tahmad 2018; Zaman et al. 2018; Ho et al. 2013; Nguyen and Nguyen 2007). conditions of the Creative Commons Trade openness is useful for observing the export–import balance of the country, Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// and is considered to be a key determinant of FDI inflows. Globalization and liberalized creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ trade policies affect the level of output and economic activity and attract foreign investors. 4.0/). Therefore, it is important to identify to what degree the trade policies are liberalized. J. Risk Financial Manag. 2021, 14, 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14030090 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jrfm J. Risk Financial Manag. 2021, 14, 90 2 of 18 Trade openness is useful for observing the export–import balance of the country, and is considered to be a key determinant of FDI inflows. Globalization and liberalized J. Risk Financial Manag. 2021, 14, 90 trade policies affect the level of output and economic activity and attract foreign 2inves- of 18 tors. Therefore, it is important to identify to what degree the trade policies are liberalized. Many countries have tried to attract more foreign direct investment by making their economy more open and implementing a variety of progressive policies. The impact of Many countries have tried to attract more foreign direct investment by making their trade openness on FDI inflow is expected to be mixed. Theoretically, trade openness af- economy more open and implementing a variety of progressive policies. The impact fects foreign direct investment positively or negatively, depending on the host country’s of trade openness on FDI inflow is expected to be mixed. Theoretically, trade openness trade policies (Liargovas and Skandalis 2012; Ponce 2006). First, the majority of empirical affects foreign direct investment positively or negatively, depending on the host country’s studies have found a positive relationship between trade openness and FDI inflows, as trade policies (Liargovas and Skandalis 2012; Ponce 2006). First, the majority of empirical demonstrated by the results in studies conducted by Makoni (2018), Sahoo (2006), Janick studies have found a positive relationship between trade openness and FDI inflows, as and Wunnava (2004), and Zaman et al. (2018). According to these studies, the positive demonstrated by the results in studies conducted by Makoni(2018), Sahoo(2006), Janick andrelationship Wunnava between(2004), and trade Zaman openness et al.( 2018and ).foreign According direct to theseinvestment studies, indicates the positive that a relationshipcountry with between fewer restrictions trade openness on imports and foreign and directexports investment has a higher indicates chance that of aattracting country withforeign fewer direct restrictions investment. on imports Secondly, and some exports studies has a have higher found chance a negative of attracting relationship foreign directbetween investment. trade openness Secondly, and some FDI inflow studies (Ado havew found and Tahmad a negative 2018; relationship Cantah et between al. 2018; tradeKhan opennessand Hye and2014). FDI Thirdly, inflow Ho (Adow et al. and (2013) Tahmad and 2018Wickramarachchi; Cantah et al. (2019) 2018; Khanfound andthat Hyetrade 2014 openness). Thirdly, had Ho no et significant al.(2013) and impact Wickramarachchi on FDI inflows(2019 in) BRICS found that(Brasil, trade Russia, openness India, hadChina, no significantand South impactAfrica) oncountries. FDI inflows in BRICS (Brasil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa)Incountries. line with the theory and earlier empirical papers, we seek to examine the causal relationshipIn line with between the theory trade andopenness earlier and empirical foreign papers, direct investment we seek to examineinflows in the Romania causal relationshipduring the period between from trade 1997 openness to 2019. and foreign direct investment inflows in Romania duringAt the the period beginning from 1997of this to period, 2019. between 1990 and 1995, the foreign direct invest- mentAt inflows the beginning in Romania of this increased, period, between but, comp 1990ared and to 1995,1994 theand foreign 1995, they direct still investment remained inflowslow from in Romania1990 to 1993. increased, In 1990, but, FDI compared inflows towere 1994 US$0.01 and 1995, million, they stillincreasing, remained in lowfive fromyears’ 1990 time, to to 1993. 419 million In 1990, in FDI 1995. inflows In 1996, were there US$0.01 was a slight million, decline increasing, in FDI inflows. in five years’ After time,1996, toforeign 419 million investments in 1995. inflow In 1996, grew, there wasrecording a slight higher decline values in FDI of inflows. over 1000 After million 1996, foreigndollars investmentsper year (for inflow instance, grew, they recording reached higher US$ 2031 values million of over dollars 1000 in million 1998). dollars This trend per yearof FDI (for growth instance, continued they reached during US$ the 2031 period million 2002–2008 dollars in(as 1998). shown This in Figure trend of 1), FDI reaching growth a continuedmaximum during value thein 2006, period and 2002–2008 corresponding (as shown to inan Figure amount1), reachingof 13,667 a million maximum dollars value in in2008, 2006, when and correspondingthe global crisis to started. an amount The ofchanging 13,667 million global economic dollars in 2008,situation when had the a globalcrucial crisisimpact started. on foreign The changingdirect investment, global economic as the global situation crisis had influenced a crucial the impact decision-making on foreign directprocess
Recommended publications
  • The Underground Economy in Romania
    Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series V: Economic Sciences • Vol. 9 (58) No. 1 - 2016 The underground economy in Romania 1 Adriana Veronica LITRA Abstract: The paper aims at covering issues related to the underground economy, activities that compound this phenomenon, its magnitude in Romania and reported to the European average. Underground economy in Romania consists of undeclared work (2/3 from the total) and unreported income; it decreased from 33.6% of GDP in 2003 to 28% in 2014, but remained over EU-28 average with about 10 p.p. Among EU-28 countries, only Bulgaria exceeds the size of the underground economy of Romania. The underground economy is a challenge for the leadership of the state which must act simultaneously to stop illegal activities, and to discourage non-declaration of the legal activities. Corruption favours maintaining the underground economy, delays economic development, obstructs democratic processes and affects justice and the law state. Key-words: underground economy, corruption, informal activities 1. Introduction Underground economy, a phenomenon present in any economy, but in different proportions, appears in the literature under various names: black market / shadow / parallel / hidden / informal / gray / unofficial / cash / invisible economy. The underground economy involves economic transactions not measured by government statistics or ignoring government regulations and laws. Underground economy can be seen as a complementary size of the formal economy. The expansion of hidden economy has resulted in diminishing official economic development, the negative effects being felt in terms of GDP size and tax receipts. One of the most comprehensive definitions was given by Pierre Pestieau, according to which underground economy represents "all economic activities taking place outside criminal, fiscal or social laws or escape national accounts inventory".
    [Show full text]
  • Romania's Integration in the European Union. Opportunities & Challenges
    Romania’s Integration in the European Union. Opportunities & Challenges Theoretical and Applied Economics. Supplement 4 România în Uniunea Europeană. Potenţialul de convergenţă 4 Contents Forward / 9 Strategic Milestones of Romania’s Integration to the European Union Process Efficiency Gheorghe Zaman / 11 Context Vision and the Ultimatum Modernization Marin Dinu / 19 Internal Rating Approach in SMEs Evaluation Mario G.R. Pagliacci / 31 Economic and Social Evolution of Romania during 1.I-28.II.2007 Period Vergil Voineagu / 47 Romania’s Real Convergence to EU - Dream or Reality? Cristian Socol, Aura Gabriela Socol / 61 The Banking System and Integration Challanges Nicolae Dănilă / 73 Theoretical Delimitations: the Europeanization of Public Administration and its Institutional Levers Lucica Matei, Diana-Camelia Iancu / 93 The Economic Situation of Romania by the Time of the Adhesion to the European Union Constantin Anghelache / 111 Effects of Integration and Globalisation on Labour Market Valentina Vasile / 141 Advantages for the Republic of Moldova to Join European Union, and the Disadvantages of its Remaining within CIS Mihai Pătraş / 149 4 Romania’s Integration in the European Union. Opportunities & Challenges Specific Features Concerning the Market Risk Management Gabriela Anghelache / 163 The Basis of the Change through Creativity, Responsibility and Hope Viorel Lefter, Elvira Nica / 183 The Role of Human Capital in the Development of the European Market Marina Luminiţa Sârbovan / 193 The Integration of the Romanian e-services
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Full Document About Romania
    About Romania Romania (Romanian: România, IPA: [ro.mɨni.a]) is a country in Southeastern Europe sited in a historic region that dates back to antiquity. It shares border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania has a stretch of sea coast along the Black Sea. It is located roughly in the lower basin of the Danube and almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory. Romania is a parliamentary unitary state. As a nation-state, the country was formed by the merging of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 and it gained recognition of its independence in 1878. Later, in 1918, they were joined by Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia. At the end of World War II, parts of its territories (roughly the present day Moldova) were occupied by USSR and Romania became a member of Warsaw Pact. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Romania started a series of political and economic reforms that peaked with Romania joining the European Union. Romania has been a member of the European Union since January 1, 2007, and has the ninth largest territory in the EU and with 22 million people [1] it has the 7th largest population among the EU member states. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest (Romanian: Bucureşti /bu.kureʃtʲ/ (help·info)), the sixth largest city in the EU with almost 2 million people. In 2007, Sibiu, a large city in Transylvania, was chosen as European Capital of Culture.[2] Romania joined NATO on March 29, 2004, and is also a member of the Latin Union, of the Francophonie and of OSCE.
    [Show full text]
  • An Introduction to the Underground Economy of Romania
    A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Maftei, Loredana Article An Introduction to the Underground Economy of Romania CES Working Papers Provided in Cooperation with: Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University Suggested Citation: Maftei, Loredana (2014) : An Introduction to the Underground Economy of Romania, CES Working Papers, ISSN 2067-7693, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Centre for European Studies, Iasi, Vol. 6, Iss. 1, pp. 110-116 This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/198293 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ www.econstor.eu AN INTRODUCTION TO THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY OF ROMANIA Loredana Maftei * Abstract: Shadow economy affected for a long time Romania, even since the old regime.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Revenues and Social Polarization in Romania
    PUBLIC REVENUES AND SOCIAL POLARIZATION IN ROMANIA Alin Stelian DOBRE, PhD Candidate ∗ Abstract Romania's public revenues to GDP are among the lowest in the EU, 34% of GDP in 2014 due to tax evasion, and the structure of GDP, some components which are not subject of taxation or taxed less. A low percentage of government revenue in GDP can be a positive factor for a functional market economy that allow more financing sources for investments in private sector. However, tax evasion is very dangerous for the economy because the tax burden is borne only by the fair of economic agents which may go in bankrupt or cannot develop. GDP per capita in Romania is less than a quarter of the EU average. Social polarization is high in Romania, the Gini coefficient is quite high for Romania, 34% in 2013, which demonstrates the high degree of poverty for some social categories. Aligning EU prices for electricity and gas can generate lower standard of living and serious social tensions. Keywords: public revenues, expenditures, tax collection, social polarization JEL Classification: A11, B22, F02, G18. 1. Application of Laffer's theory to the realities of Romania Macroeconomist Arthur Laffer was one of the architects of modern American economic policies. Laffer's theory (Laffer Curve) says that under certain conditions, tax cuts stimulate the economy and can bring greater public budget revenues, while tax increases may lead to reduced budget revenues if it passes a certain level of endurance tax burden. An efficient tax system to ensure that economic development can be achieved by simplification, fewer tax to ensure those revenue necessary for the functioning of the state.
    [Show full text]
  • Geographical Economics and Per Capita GDP Growth in Romania*
    European Research Studies, Volume XV, Issue (3), 2012 Geographical Economics and Per Capita GDP Growth in Romania* Jesús López-Rodríguez1, Cosmin Bolea-Gabriel 2 Abstract: This paper analyses the growth dynamics in the Romanian economic over the period 1995-2008 and the link between them and the economic geography of the country in light of the transition process started in the early nineties. The analysis of the growth dynamics is carried out at different geographical scales and using different time spans. The analysis of the growth dynamics is followed by an econometric exercise which first tries to check for the (non)existence of convergence and then we have studied to which extend the economic geography of the country is a key ingredient in the observed growth dynamics. The results of our analysis point out that regardless of the period of study under consideration a catching-up process across Romanian counties is not taken place. Rather a divergence process is pretty much at work. Our second important conclusion is that the economic geography of the country is shaping the growth dynamics observed over the course of the years in Romania. Key Words: Convergence, Regional Disparities, Growth Dynamics, Divergence, Economic Geography, Romania JEL Classification: R11, R12, R13, R14, F12, F23 * Acknowledgements: The authors want to thank the editor of the journal (E. Thalassinos) and the conference participants at the ICABE 2012 conference held in Cyprus for the comments and suggestions they made to the previous version of this paper. A substantial part of this paper has been finished while the first author was a visiting scholar at the Harvard Economics department in 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting the Foundations of Dependent Market Economies
    December 2, 2013 Paper 3 From Cocktail to Dependence: Revisiting the Foundations of Dependent Market Economies Cornel Ban Boston University, Department of International Relations Abstract Recent contributions to the comparative political economy of East European capitalisms have found that a distinctive variety of capitalism emerged in some new EU member states. The new variety has been dubbed “dependent market economy” (DME). This paper makes several contributions to this literature. First, it marshals evidence to show that this institutional variety now includes the political economy of Romania, a case previously excluded from it. More importantly, this analysis also finds that earlier scholarship on dependent capitalism has failed to capture crucial mechanisms of dependence created by transnationalized finance. Third, the paper suggests that some of the arguments made in the existing scholarship on the interests of foreign capital with regard to domestic innovation and labor training need to be qualified. Finally, by showing reflexivity towards select critiques of the dependent market economy framework, the analysis proposes by this paper is a self-limited attempt to bridge the differences between the varieties of capitalism and Polanyian analyses of capitalist diversity in semi- peripheral middle-income states. Introduction In the big picture of economic development during the past two decades, the European Union’s new member states are often associated with fast and deep liberalizations (Gowan 1999; der Pijl 2001; Peck et al 2010; Farkas 2011). While neo-developmentalism shaped responses to globalization in Latin America, Asia or Russia (Khan and Christiansen 2010; Wengle 2012; Ban 2012), these European developing countries have played the liberal card instead.
    [Show full text]
  • The Romanian Rural Tourism. Actuality and Perspectives in the Context Of
    Social Economic Debates Volume 7, Issue 2, 2018 ISSN 2360-1973; ISSN-L 2248-3837 The Romanian rural tourism. Actuality and perspectives in the context of innovation economy. Mirela STOICAN, PhD Gheorghe Asachi College, Focșani, România, [email protected] Daniela VĂRVĂRUC, PhD student University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, România, [email protected] Adina CAMARDA, PhD Faculty of Food and Tourism, Braşov, România [email protected] Abstract: Recent years have revealed major changes in the approach of the concept of leisure. Rural tourism is an important issue, but slightly neglected tourism in Romania. The purpose of this paper is to make a review of the defining components of Romanian rural tourism and to try to position the benefits of rural tourism in Romania. In order to achieve its objectives, the research will take into account the rural tourism offer, trends in tourism mobility as well as the future directions for the tourism valorization of Romanian rural area. Keywords: tourism rural, sustainability, TQM, innovation in tourism 1. Introduction Daily cycle flows have led to major social phenomena, namely recording a significant increase in urban population, per capita income growth and not least an increase in average life expectancy to about 75 years. All these elements have competed in increasing the individual’s availability to travel and to spend time outside his residence, transforming it into "homo turisticus". This willingness to travel slowly starts acquiring new connotations. Mass tourism practiced no longer provide its needs fully, following the trend of refuge from the busy areas of everyday lives "industrialized" contributed significantly to the emergence of alternative tourism.
    [Show full text]
  • Transport and Tourism in Romania
    Briefing RESEARCH FOR TRAN COMMITTEE - TRANSPORT AND TOURISM IN ROMANIA This overview of the transport and tourism sectors in Romania was prepared to provide the information for the mission of the Transport and Tourism Committee to Romania (29-31 March 2016). 1. INTRODUCTION Romania is one of the most populated countries in eastern Europe with around 20 million inhabitants1. Geographically, it is dominated by the Carpathian Mountains in the north and centre of the country while the main feature in the south is the vast Danube valley which becomes a delta as it approaches the Black Sea. This distinctive geography has a profound influence on the developmental challenges and opportunities of the country and its individual regions. Source: European Commission1 The Romanian economy closed out 2014 with 2.8% growth, down from the 3.4% recorded in 2013 which was higher than the EU-28 average of 1.3% and 0% in both years respectively2. Between 2004-2014, the Romanian economy grew on average by 2.7%. The most important sectors of Romania’s economy in 2014 were industry (27.3%), wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (17.9%) and public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (10.3%)3. Table 1: Macro economic forecasts for Romania 2015 2016 2017 GDP growth (%, year over year) 3,6 4,2 3,7 Inflation (%,year over year) -0,4 -0,2 2,5 Unemployment (%) 6,7 6,6 6,5 Current account balance (% of GDP) -1,0 -2,1 -2,9 Source: European Commission4 In 2009, the European Union (EU) Heads of State or Government, following a call submitted by Austria and Romania, asked the European Commission (EC) to prepare a strategy targeted at the Danube area.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role and Place of the Individual Peasant Farms in the Economic Sustenability of the Rural Population in Romania
    A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Lup, Aurel Conference Paper The role and place of the individual peasant farms in the economic sustenability of the rural population in Romania Provided in Cooperation with: The Research Institute for Agriculture Economy and Rural Development (ICEADR), Bucharest Suggested Citation: Lup, Aurel (2012) : The role and place of the individual peasant farms in the economic sustenability of the rural population in Romania, In: Agrarian Economy and Rural Development - Realities and Perspectives for Romania. 3rd Edition of the International Symposium, October 2012, Bucharest, The Research Institute for Agricultural Economy and Rural Development (ICEADR), Bucharest, pp. 218-225 This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/76857 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Analysis of Informal Institutions in the Romanian
    Comparative Analysis of Informal Institutions In the Romanian Provinces of Transylvania and Moldavia By Andreea-Raluca Leru Submitted to Central European University Department of Public Policy In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Policy Supervisor: Professor Valentina Dimitrova-Grajzl CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2009 Abstract The current existing literature on institutional development in post-communist countries fails in providing scholars with a clear and correct picture on the influence socialist institutions have in shaping people’s behavior, and implicitly the current economic development of post-communist countries. Therefore, the aim of this study is to fill the gap previously identified while investigating how proximity to former Soviet Union affects the institutional development of the Romanian provinces of Transylvania and Moldavia during contemporaneous times. Before proceeding with investigating the premise previously stated, an econometric model had been estimated in which trust had been included as proxy for institutional development, while using distance from Kiev to respondent as proxy for geographical proximity to former Soviet Union together with gender, age, and rural/urban environment as explanatory variables. Accordingly, the multiple regression model previously estimated was expected to distinguish between higher levels of trust in the region of Transylvania and lower levels of trust in the region of Moldavia. However, after empirically testing the econometric model estimated, the main hypothesis of the analysis according to which “the closer a region is to former Soviet Union, the more likely it is for the region to register lower levels of trust in people and in state’s public institutions” was rejected.
    [Show full text]
  • Gross Domestic Product – National Income of Romania 1862 – 2010
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive Gross Domestic Product – National Income of Romania 1862 – 2010. Secular statistical series and methodological foundations Axenciuc, Victor and Georgescu, George Institute of National Economy 16 October 2017 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/84614/ MPRA Paper No. 84614, posted 17 Feb 2018 07:12 UTC Gross Domestic Product – National Income of Romania 1862 – 2010. Secular statistical series and methodological foundations Victor Axenciuc George Georgescu Abstract Starting from the importance and need to investigate one of the most relevant issues regarding the structure and dynamics of the economic and social development of all countries in the world, the book focuses on Romania, from the perspective of certain synthetic indicators, aggregated at macroeconomic level, i.e. the Gross Domestic Product and the National Income, on long data series over the past 150 years, also taking into account the comparative international context, in terms of purchasing power parity. The Part One contains a synthesis, developed and completed, of GDP data for each year of the period 1862 – 2010 and also indicators resulting from the GDP, as Net Domestic Product, Net National Product and National Income. The historical research has adopted and applied, with maximum attention, criteria that substantiated the calculations, through rigorous techniques and methods of data aggregation, in order to remove certain errors that would lead to distorted results, focusing on the accuracy of evaluations, so that they would express, in the most genuine manner, the real dimension of the statistical indicators, allowing for a correct interpretation of the economic phenomena. The operations for compiling the indicators are accompanied by comments regarding the criteria and calculation methods, as well as by methodological explanations, so that the data would be able to be rebuilt in a better format, by the interested authors, should they have a more reliable and relevant statistical information about Romania.
    [Show full text]