The Atlas of Economic Complexity

Maps capture data expressing the economic complexity of countries from Albania to Zimbabwe, offering current economic measures and as well as a guide to achieving prosperity Why do some countries grow and others do not? The authors of The Atlas of Economic Complexity offer readers an explanation based on "Economic Complexity," a measure of a society's productive knowledge. Prosperous societies are those that have the knowledge to make a larger variety of more complex products.The Atlas of Economic Complexity attempts to measure the amount of productive knowledge countries hold and how they can move to accumulate more of it by making more complex products. Through the graphical representation of the "Product Space," the authors are able to identify each country's "adjacent possible," or potential new products, making it easier to find paths to economic diversification and growth. In addition, they argue that a country's economic complexity and its position in the product space are better predictors of economic growth than many other well-known development indicators, including measures of competitiveness, governance, finance, and schooling. Using innovative visualizations, the book locates each country in the product space, provides complexity and growth potential rankings for 128 countries, and offers individual country pages with detailed information about a country's current capabilities and its diversification options. The maps and visualizations included in the Atlas can be used to find more viable paths to greater productive knowledge and prosperity

Pre-colonial institutions and socioeconomic development: The case of Latin America

We study the effects of pre-colonial institutions on present-day socioeconomic outcomes for Latin America. Our thesis is that more advanced pre-colonial institutions relate to better socioeconomic outcomes today. We advance that pre-colonial institutions survived to our days thanks to the existence of largely self-governed Amerindian communities in rural Latin America. Amerindians groups with more advanced institutional capacity would have been able to organize and defend their interests in front of national governments; leading to better development outcomes for themselves and for the population at large. We test our thesis with a dataset of 324 sub-national administrative units covering all mainland Latin American countries. Our extensive range of controls covers factors such as climate, location, natural resources, colonial activities and pre-colonial characteristics – plus country fixed effects. Results strongly support our thesis

Volcanic Geology of the Davis Mountains, Trans-Pecos Texas: Second Year Report

This report describes the results of the second year of mapping of the volcanic rocks of the Davis Mountains, Trans-Pecos Texas. The Davis Mountains (fig. 1) constitute a major part of the eastern, alkalic belt of the Trans-Pecos volcanic field (Barker, 1977; Price and others, 1986). Yet, because of their volcanic and stratigraphic complexity, the Davis Mountains remain the most poorly mapped and least understood part of the field. Published geologic maps of the area (the Fort Stockton and Marfa sheets of the Geologic Atlas of Texas (McKalips and others, 1982; Twiss, 1979)) are based on regional, aerial photographic extrapolation of formations established in a few detailed studies.Bureau of Economic Geolog

Economic integration and export complexity: the case of Slovakia

The goal of the article is to evaluate the impact of the European Union (EU) accession on the complexity of goods in Slovak exports. The traditional theories or trade (Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin models) show that such an engagement in economic integration may lead to specialization in the production of either more or less sophisticated goods, depending on the country’s technological advancement and factor endowment. At the same time, increased FDI flows may stimulate the engagement of a country in international production chains with ambiguous effects on export complexity. Because it is impossible to a priori predict the effect economic integration may have on the complexity, it is reasonable to verify it empirically. The authors used the Synthetic Control Method (SCM) to compare the observed post-accession levels of exports complexity in Slovakia with the counterfactual values of that country remaining outside of the EU. The obtained results show that the accession led to an increase in complexity of exported goods

Prosper. An evaluation of tourism's contribution to regional economies

Prosper has delivered a three part model for assessing and enhancing the value of tourism in regional areas. The first part of the model uses simple indicators to provide an assessment of the economic, social, and environmental value attached to tourism. An indicators approach was adopted following extensive review of the application of more complex approaches to regional economic analysis. The review found that complex approaches are unlikely to produce results of sufficient validity and applicability to warrant their high resource costs (time, money, and skills). Complex models are also more difficult to maintain. The economic value is represented through quantitative indicators relating to employment and the number of businesses in tourism related sectors. These are all relative indicators (for example, proportion of all businesses which are businesses in the tourism sector or proportion of change in employment that can be attributed to change in tourism related employment). These indicators are drawn from national data sets which provide information for statistical local areas and/or postcode areas. This offers the opportunity to develop and deliver consistent national profiles through a vehicle such as Decipher. National standard data sets are supplemented in the model by more qualitative assessments of tourism’s contribution to the local economy made by business operators through interviews or surveys. Again, tracking the change in these assessments over time is the key to the model. Social and environmental values are substantially more difficult to assess. The Prosper case studies have included qualitative assessments derived from business and community meetings, local government and other administrative documents, media and a simplified network analysis identifying the extent to which community based organisations interact with the delivery of tourism services. Data sets have been identified which would allow a quantitative analysis of the extent to which tourism activity (visitor movements, business activity, business construction) encroaches on environmentally sensitive areas or is responsible for redevelopment or preservation of built environments. The case studies have not been able to implement this quantitative analysis. The second part of the model conducts a ‘diagnostic’ assessment of the capacity in the region to harness the value of tourism through innovation. Innovation is seen as a very important mechanism for both identifying regional issues and developing responses to those issues. Innovation is widely accepted in the literature as a driver of economic growth, and concepts such as ‘systems of innovation’ and ‘regional systems of innovation’ have become common in understanding how that innovation can be encouraged and placed within technical or geographical contexts. The diagnostic element of the Prosper model uses a series of techniques (including historical document analysis, interviews, and network analysis) to investigate the characteristics of region’s human tourism resources in relation to their ‘innovation potential’. Innovation potential is influenced by: • Economic competence – the extent to which those resources include capacity to manage projects and implement new ideas; • Clustering of resources – the spatial relationships between tourism attractions and amenities and nontourism amenities and resources which may be critical in the delivery of tourism product; • Networks – the social and professional relationships between tourism attractions and amenities and nontourism amenities and resources which may be critical in the delivery of tourism product; • Development blocks – the existence of sufficient new resources or new ways of looking at existing resources to provide opportunities for innovation. Development blocks need also to be a source of tension or disequilibrium so that their use is contested and therefore options more likely to be scrutinized as to their viability; • Entrepreneurship – the capacity for human resources to engage in new tasks and drive activity; • Critical mass – the relationship between the capacity to supply tourism product, and the capacity to access sufficient and appropriate markets (including resident markets) to support ongoing supply; • Local government – the extent to which local government considers tourism an important issue and is willing to engage in the innovation process • Production and distribution of knowledge – the extent to which the history and current status of tourism is understood and communicated, and the degree to which stakeholders can access and apply new information for identifying the potential or need for change, assessing the viability of projects, and evaluating activities; • Social, political and cultural capital – the strength of the social, political and cultural environments, and the degree to which those environments can be effectively harnessed to support tourism innovation. The third part of the model uses ‘visioning’ techniques (drawing in part on experiences from Sustainable Tourism CRC projects on ‘Gold Coast Visioning’ led by Professor Bill Faulkner at Griffith University, and research by Walker, Lee, Goddard, Kelly & Pedersen, 2005) to engage stakeholders in developing strategies for identifying tourism value issues (based on the community awareness of the value of tourism, aspirations for enhancing value, and strategies for addressing deficiencies in innovation potential). A number of processes are available for applying visioning techniques. Our case studies typically involved community leaders accepting ownership of the results of the application of the first components of the model and, in a facilitated or nonfacilitated way, delivering these results broadly through the community. In some cases, strategies emerged entirely from within the region, while in others, the research team was further engaged to collate strategy suggestions and summarise the arguments attached to these suggestions. In most cases, the final case study write-up included reference to suggestions which appeared likely to be carried forward. The Prosper model was tested in thirteen case studies, not simply to establish whether the relationships hypothesized between innovation potential and harnessing the value of tourism could be observed, but also to establish to extent to which participating regions viewed the application of the model as important and worthwhile in their attempts to move forward. The case studies were a mix of five new studies conducted using the Prosper model in a direct way and meta-analysis of eight previous case studies. The short time frame for the research (2 and ½ years) and the relatively long term nature of change made it impossible to design the research to evaluate the success of the strategies developed or any specific innovations in new case studies, so the metaanalysis studies were significant in this respect. The case studies strongly supported the second part of the model in particular, and the research served as an influential tool for many of the case study communities who were able to implement programs of value monitoring (through quantitative or qualitative means), identify ways in which their systems of innovation could be strengthened, and develop context specific mechanisms for identifying and assessing the feasibility of tourism development proposals. The research has delivered a number of outputs which may be used in dissemination and commercialisation of the intellectual property. A stand-alone publication reviewing the applicability of various economic value assessment techniques to regional tourism has been produced. A quick guide to the Prosper model and assessing whether application of the model would assist a particular region has been drafted, and is slated for development in collaboration with Sustainable Tourism CRC. A detailed methodology specification has been prepared, and may be used as the basis of consulting services or the conduct of further case studies. The quantitative data sets (Census, Sensis, TTF employment analysis, labour force statistics etc.) may be made available through Decipher and included in a structured Decipher product which facilitates analysis and interpretation. A book containing research results of the thirteen case studies and an overview of the relationship between those case studies and the Prosper model has been edited by Dean Carson and Dr Jim Macbeth and has been submitted to the Sustainable Tourism CRC editorial team led by Professor Chris Cooper at the University of Queensland

The Atlas of Economic Complexity : uma visão sob as óticas dos modelos de Ricardo, Heckscher-Ohlin e Equações Gravitacionais

Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade, Departamento de Economia, 2017.O presente trabalho buscou relacionar modelos renomados na área da economia internacional tais como o modelo de Ricardo, o modelo Heckscher-Ohlin e o modelo de equações gravitacionais com a teoria apresentada no livro The Atlas of Economic Complexity escrito por Ricardo Hausmann, César A. Hidalgo et al. Para cumprir esse objetivo, o presente trabalho está divido em três seções principais. Na seção 2, intitulada revisão de literatura, os três modelos citados acima são apresentados. Já na seção 4, é realizada uma apresentação do arcabouço teórico utilizado para a construção do Atlas. Por sua vez a seção 5 traz os conteúdos abordados na seção 2 são comparados ao conteúdo apresentado na seção 4, destacando os principais pontos de convergência e divergência entre as teorias. Ao confrontar a teoria ricardiana com a teoria Economic Complexity, foi observado que há convergências interessantes entre elas, sendo a principal, a de que o comércio internacional pode ser explicado devido a divergência de tecnologia entre as nações. O modelo de equações gravitacionais, por sua vez, apresenta pontos de convergência e divergência. O principal ponto de convergência se deve ao fato de que países tendem a comercializar mais com nações que possuem proporções econômicas similares a suas. A divergência surge ao tratar da distância entre países como empecilho ao comércio. Já o modelo de proporção de fatores apresentou, de maneira geral, divergências em relação a Economic Complexity, principalmente, devido a um pressuposto do modelo: a de que as nações possuiriam níveis de tecnologia idênticos. Para chegar a tais conclusões, foram realizadas comparações teóricas entre os modelos e a teoria elaborada na obra de Hausmann, Hidalgo et al.The present study sought to link famous international trade models such as the Ricardian model, the Heckscher-Ohlin model and Gravity Equations to the theory presented in The Atlas of Economic Complexity written by Ricardo Hausmann, César A. Hidal et al. To accomplish this objective, this study has three main sections. The section 2 presents the three models mentioned above. The section 4 presents the Economic Complexity construction made by Hausmann, Hidalgo et al. The section 5 compares the theories presented in the previous sections highlighting the focal points of convergence a divergence. When we compare the Ricardian model with Economic complexity the main similarity is the existence of commerce due to the differences in technologies between countries. The Gravity Equations models have is close to Economic Complexity when it states that commerce tends to happen at a higher intensity between countries with similar economic proportions. The main difference between these two theories is because the distance between countries does not necessarily acts as a restriction in commerce. The Heckscher-Ohlin model, however, distances itself from the Economic Complexity theory especially due to one of its assumption: technologies across nations are exactly the same. To reach these conclusions we compared the theory between each of these models

Complex systems in the history of American English

Kretzschmar 2009 has demonstrated that language in use, speech as opposed to linguistic systems as usually described by linguists, satisfies the conditions for complex systems as defined in sciences such as physics, evolutionary biology, and economics. This finding has strong methodological consequences for study of the history of American English. This paper discusses implications for the initial formation of American English and its varieties, with reference to Schneider 2007, as the product of random interactions between speakers of different input varieties of English. It also considers westward expansion of American dialects, with reference to Kretzschmar 1996, as an effect of proximity, especially along settlement routes. Finally, it describes how sociolinguistic discussions of more recent change should also be understood as occurring within the different intersecting scales of complex systems of speech in America

Complexity, Centralization, and Fragility in Economic Networks

Trade networks, across which countries distribute their products, are crucial components of the globalized world economy. Their structure is strongly heterogeneous across products, given the different features of the countries which buy and sell goods. By using a diversified pool of indicators from network science and product complexity theory, we quantitatively confirm the intuition that, overall, products with higher complexity -- i.e., with larger technological content and number of components -- are traded through a more centralized network -- i.e., with a small number of countries concentrating most of the export flow. Since centralized networks are known to be more vulnerable, we argue that the current composition of production and trading is associated to high fragility at the level of the most complex -- thus strategic -- products