[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/soudev/v16y2021i1p130-151.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decentralization and Its Impact on Growth in India

Author

Listed:
  • Fernanda Andrade de Xavier
  • Aparna P. Lolayekar
  • Pranab Mukhopadhyay
Abstract
We study the effect of revenue decentralization (RD) and expenditure decentralization (ED) on sub-national growth in India from 1981–1982 to 2015–2016 for 14 large (non-special-category) states. Our study provides evidence that both RD and ED play a defining role in India’s sub-national growth in this three-and-a-half-decade period. We use a panel data model with fixed effects (FE) and Driscoll and Kraay standard errors that control for heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation and cross-sectional dependence. To test for causality between growth and decentralization, we use the Granger non-causality test. The regression analysis is supplemented with the distribution dynamics approach. We find that: (a) While decentralization Granger-caused economic growth, the reverse causality effect of growth on decentralization was not significant; (b) Economic growth increased significantly after liberalization; (c) Decentralization, capital expenditure and social expenditure had significant positive impacts on economic growth; and (d) States that had high levels of decentralization also had high levels of per capita income, while states that had low decentralization also exhibited low per capita income.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernanda Andrade de Xavier & Aparna P. Lolayekar & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2021. "Decentralization and Its Impact on Growth in India," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 16(1), pages 130-151, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:soudev:v:16:y:2021:i:1:p:130-151
    DOI: 10.1177/09731741211013210
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09731741211013210
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/09731741211013210?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hindriks, Jean & Peralta, Susana & Weber, Shlomo, 2008. "Competing in taxes and investment under fiscal equalization," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(12), pages 2392-2402, December.
    2. Sala-i-Martin, Xavier X., 1996. "Regional cohesion: Evidence and theories of regional growth and convergence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1325-1352, June.
    3. Alesina, Alberto & Perotti, Roberto, 1996. "Income distribution, political instability, and investment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1203-1228, June.
    4. Robin Boadway & Anwar Shah, 2007. "Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers : Principles and Practice," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7171.
    5. Quah, Danny T, 1996. "Twin Peaks: Growth and Convergence in Models of Distribution Dynamics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(437), pages 1045-1055, July.
    6. Hausman, Jerry A & Taylor, William E, 1981. "Panel Data and Unobservable Individual Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1377-1398, November.
    7. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    8. Qiao, Baoyun & Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & Xu, Yongsheng, 2008. "The tradeoff between growth and equity in decentralization policy: China's experience," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 112-128, April.
    9. Quah, Danny, 1997. "Empirics for growth and distribution," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 2138, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Zhang, Tao & Zou, Heng-fu, 2001. "The growth impact of intersectoral and intergovernmental allocation of public expenditure: With applications to China and India," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 58-81.
    11. Bahal, Girish & Raissi, Mehdi & Tulin, Volodymyr, 2018. "Crowding-out or crowding-in? Public and private investment in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 323-333.
    12. Dibyendu Maiti & Sugata Marjit, 2009. "Regional Openness, Income Growth And Disparity Across Major Indian States During 1980-2004," Development Economics Working Papers 22927, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    13. Dumitrescu, Elena-Ivona & Hurlin, Christophe, 2012. "Testing for Granger non-causality in heterogeneous panels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 1450-1460.
    14. Feltenstein, Andrew & Iwata, Shigeru, 2005. "Decentralization and macroeconomic performance in China: regional autonomy has its costs," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 481-501, April.
    15. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    16. Beck, Nathaniel & Katz, Jonathan N., 1995. "What To Do (and Not to Do) with Time-Series Cross-Section Data," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 89(3), pages 634-647, September.
    17. Quah, Danny, 1997. "Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs," CEPR Discussion Papers 1586, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Devarajan, Shantayanan & Swaroop, Vinaya & Heng-fu, Zou, 1996. "The composition of public expenditure and economic growth," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2-3), pages 313-344, April.
    19. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    20. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Ananthi Ramiah & Nirupam Bajpai, 2002. "Understanding Regional Economic Growth in India," CID Working Papers 88, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    21. Davoodi, Hamid & Zou, Heng-fu, 1998. "Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Study," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 244-257, March.
    22. Charles R. Hankla, 2009. "When is Fiscal Decentralization Good for Governance?," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 39(4), pages 632-650, Fall.
    23. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    24. Pritha Mitra, 2006. "Has Government Investment Crowded Out Private Investment in India?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 337-341, May.
    25. Ashok Kotwal & Bharat Ramaswami & Wilima Wadhwa, 2011. "Economic Liberalization and Indian Economic Growth: What's the Evidence?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(4), pages 1152-1199, December.
    26. Zhang, Tao & Zou, Heng-fu, 1998. "Fiscal decentralization, public spending, and economic growth in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 221-240, February.
    27. K. J. Arrow, 1971. "The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: F. H. Hahn (ed.), Readings in the Theory of Growth, chapter 11, pages 131-149, Palgrave Macmillan.
    28. Danny Quah, 1996. "Twin Peaks: Growth and Convergence in Models of Distribution Dynamics," CEP Discussion Papers dp0280, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    29. Pabai Fofanah, 2020. "Effects of Exchange Rate Volatility on Trade: Evidence from West Africa," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 12(3), pages 32-52.
    30. Angus Deaton and Jean Drèze & Jean Drèze, 2002. "Poverty and Inequality in India: A Reexamination," Working papers 107, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    31. Daniel Hoechle, 2007. "Robust standard errors for panel regressions with cross-sectional dependence," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 7(3), pages 281-312, September.
    32. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Nirupam Bajpai & Ananthi Ramiah, 2002. "Understanding Regional Economic Growth in India," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 1(3), pages 32-62.
    33. Mittal, Pranjal, 2016. "Social Sector Expenditure and Human Development of Indian States," MPRA Paper 75804, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Nov 2016.
    34. Mihaela Simionescu & Daniel Ciuiu & Yuriy Bilan & Wadim Strielkowski, 2016. "GDP and Net Migration in Some Eastern and South-Eastern Countries of Europe. A Panel Data and Bayesian Approach," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 12(2), pages 161-175.
    35. Aparna Lolayekar & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2017. "Growth Convergence and Regional Inequality in India (1981–2012)," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 15(2), pages 307-328, June.
    36. Christopher A. Hartwell, 2014. "Do (successful) stock exchanges support or hinder institutions in transition economies?," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 1-18, December.
    37. Deshpande, Ashwani, 2011. "The Grammar of Caste: Economic Discrimination in Contemporary India," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198072034.
    38. Wallace E. Oates & Wallace E. Oates, 2004. "An Essay on Fiscal Federalism," Chapters, in: Environmental Policy and Fiscal Federalism, chapter 22, pages 384-414, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    39. Kalirajan, Kaliappa & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2012. "Fiscal Decentralization and Development Outcomes in India: An Exploratory Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1511-1521.
    40. Panagariya, Arvind & Chakraborty, Pinaki & Rao, M. Govinda, 2014. "State Level Reforms, Growth, and Development in Indian States," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199367863.
    41. Quah, Danny, 1996. "Twin peaks : growth and convergence in models of distribution dynamics," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 2278, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    42. Weingast, Barry R., 2014. "Second Generation Fiscal Federalism: Political Aspects of Decentralization and Economic Development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 14-25.
    43. Pradhan, B. K. & Ratha, D. K. & Sarma, Atul, 1990. "Complementarity between public and private investment in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 101-116, July.
    44. William Easterly, 2019. "In Search of Reforms for Growth: New Stylized Facts on Policy and Growth Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 26318, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    45. Justin Yifu Lin & Zhiqiang Liu, 2000. "Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth in China," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 49(1), pages 1-21.
    46. Ebel, Robert D. & Yilmaz, Serdar, 2002. "On the measurement and impact of fiscal decentralization," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2809, The World Bank.
    47. World Bank, 2002. "China - National Development and Sub-National Finance : A Review of Provincial Expenditures," World Bank Publications - Reports 15423, The World Bank Group.
    48. Amaresh Bagchi, 2003. "Rethinking Federalism: Changing Power Relations Between the Center and the States," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 33(4), pages 21-42, Fall.
    49. Yushkov, Andrey, 2015. "Fiscal decentralization and regional economic growth: Theory, empirics, and the Russian experience," Russian Journal of Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(4), pages 404-418.
    50. Kuznets, Simon, 1973. "Modern Economic Growth: Findings and Reflections," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(3), pages 247-258, June.
    51. Sam Asher & Paul Novosad, 2017. "Politics and Local Economic Growth: Evidence from India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(1), pages 229-273, January.
    52. Akai, Nobuo & Sakata, Masayo, 2002. "Fiscal decentralization contributes to economic growth: evidence from state-level cross-section data for the United States," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 93-108, July.
    53. Danny Quah, 1997. "Empirics for Growth and Distribution," CEP Discussion Papers dp0324, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    54. Ghatak, Anita & Ghatak, Subrata, 1996. "Budgetary deficits and Ricardian equivalence: The case of India, 1950-1986," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 267-282, May.
    55. Imran Hanif & Sally Wallace & Pilar Gago-de-Santos, 2020. "Economic Growth by Means of Fiscal Decentralization: An Empirical Study for Federal Developing Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(4), pages 21582440209, October.
    56. Granger, C W J, 1969. "Investigating Causal Relations by Econometric Models and Cross-Spectral Methods," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 37(3), pages 424-438, July.
    57. Stefano Magrini, 2007. "Analysing Convergence through the Distribution Dynamics Approach: Why and how?," Working Papers 2007_13, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    58. North, Douglass C, 1987. "Institutions, Transaction Costs and Economic Growth," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 25(3), pages 419-428, July.
    59. Quah, Danny T, 1997. "Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 27-59, March.
    60. Sabyasachi Kar & Debajit Jha & Alpana Kateja, 2011. "Club‐convergence and polarization of states," Indian Growth and Development Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 4(1), pages 53-72, April.
    61. Anita Ghatak & Subrata Ghatak, "undated". "Budgetary Deficits and Ricardian Equivalence: The Case of India, 1950-1986," Discussion Papers in Public Sector Economics 96/3, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    62. Dibyendu Maiti & Sugata Marjit, 2015. "Regional Openness, Income Growth and Disparity during 1980–2009," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 16(1), pages 145-166, March.
    63. Aparna P Lolayekar & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2020. "“Understanding growth convergence in India (1981–2010): Looking beyond the usual suspects”," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fernanda Andrade de Xavier & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2023. "Can Fiscal Transfers Help India Meet Its SDG Goals?," South Asian Journal of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, , vol. 12(2), pages 218-249, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aparna P Lolayekar & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2020. "“Understanding growth convergence in India (1981–2010): Looking beyond the usual suspects”," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Chhavi Tiwari & Sankalpa Bhattacharjee & Debkumar Chakrabarti, 2020. "Investigating Regional Inequalities in India: Are Indian Districts Converging?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 684-716, July.
    3. Sulekha Hembram & Souparna Maji & Sushil Kr. Haldar, 2019. "Club Convergence among the Major Indian States During 1982–2014: Does Investment in Human Capital Matter?," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 20(2), pages 184-204, September.
    4. Aparna Lolayekar & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2017. "Growth Convergence and Regional Inequality in India (1981–2012)," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 15(2), pages 307-328, June.
    5. Fulvio Castellacci, 2007. "Evolutionary And New Growth Theories. Are They Converging?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 585-627, July.
    6. Thushyanthan Baskaran & Lars P. Feld & Jan Schnellenbach, 2016. "Fiscal Federalism, Decentralization, And Economic Growth: A Meta-Analysis," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(3), pages 1445-1463, July.
    7. Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 2002. "15 Years of New Growth Economics : What Have we Learnt?," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 5(2), pages 5-15, August.
    8. Cem Ertur & Julie Le Gallo & Catherine Baumont, 2006. "The European Regional Convergence Process, 1980-1995: Do Spatial Regimes and Spatial Dependence Matter?," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 29(1), pages 3-34, January.
    9. Semmler, Willi & Ofori, Marvin, 2007. "On poverty traps, thresholds and take-offs," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 1-26, March.
    10. Leone Leonida & Daniel Montolio, 2001. "Convergence and Inter-Distributional Dynamics among the Spanish Provinces. A Non-parametric Density Estimation Approach," Working Papers 2001/7, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    11. Thushyanthan Baskaran & Lars P. Feld & Jan Schnellenbach, 2014. "Fiscal Federalism, Decentralization and Economic Growth: Survey and Meta-Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 4985, CESifo.
    12. Völlmecke, Dominik & Jindra, Björn & Marek, Philipp, 2016. "FDI, human capital and income convergence—Evidence for European regions," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 288-307.
    13. Hafner, Kurt A. & Mayer-Foulkes, David, 2013. "Fertility, economic growth, and human development causal determinants of the developed lifestyle," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 38(PA), pages 107-120.
    14. Walheer, Barnabé, 2018. "Labour productivity growth and energy in Europe: A production-frontier approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 129-143.
    15. Gadea Rivas, Maria Dolores & Sanz Villarroya, Isabel, 2017. "Testing the convergence hypothesis for OECD countries: A reappraisal," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 11, pages 1-22.
    16. Sławomir Listkiewicz, 2005. "Próba estymacji wpływu funduszy strukturalnych na wzrost gospodarczy w Polsce," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1-2, pages 123-136.
    17. Cristina Brasili & Luciano Gutierrez, 2004. "Regional convergence across European Union," Development and Comp Systems 0402002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Leone Leonida & Leone Leonida & Daniel Montolio, 2003. "Public Capital, Growth and Convergence in Spain. A Counterfactual Density Estimation Approach," Working Papers 2003/3, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    19. Fung, Michael K., 2009. "Financial development and economic growth: Convergence or divergence?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 56-67, February.
    20. Adriana Di Liberto, 2007. "Convergence and Divergence in Neoclassical Growth Models with Human Capital," Economia politica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 289-322.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:soudev:v:16:y:2021:i:1:p:130-151. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.