Lobbying and Growth: Explaining Differences among OECD Countries

The paper is an attempt to observe the effects of the development of rent-seeking or lobbying groups on the growth pace of a number of countries. The relationship between the policy suggestions of competing interest groups, and economic policies implemented both at micro and macro level after the 1980s revealed the importance of lobbying effect on policies fostering or inhibiting most of the developing countries’ long-run growth levels. In addition to the vast literature on the positive theory of regulation and the theories of competition among the pressure groups, the current study is to provide some examples of the literature on lobbying and its effects on growth. Taking from Mancur Olson’s inspiring book, The Rise and Decline of Nations, this paper reviews the following literature and discussions with special emphasis on Gary Becker and Kevin M. Murphy’s works while adding an empirical component whether it is a panel or cross-country data analysis. Availability of the relevant data is a major concern due to the inconsistencies in measuring the size and effect of lobbying for each country. A set of countries including only the OECD members will constitute the subject of the empirical investigation. The dataset on the special interest groups is provided from K.G. Saur’s World Guide to Trade Associations as do the previous studies. For the purpose of the further research, some derivations and proposals would be provided to solve the puzzle. The study has the intuition that the development of lobbying powers is closely related to other political factors effective on growth rates such as democracy, civil society. Overall, the paper is to investigate the role of lobbying on growth rates on a multi-country level while implying the effects to change relatively in accordance with country specific effects. Thus the conclusion will state that depending on the country specific patterns, each OECD member exhibits slightly different effects of the relative size –by proxies- and number of business interest groups on growth due to the country specific effects. This work specifically focuses on Turkey which is shown to have negligible effect on the overall club members in terms of special interest groups on growth.Economic Policy, Growth, Development, Lobbying, Interest-group, Rent-seeking, Government Regulation

The Nature of Lobbying and Regulation in Turkey

The policy-making and distributive effects of lobbying is a disturbing and highly debated issue in many developing countries. This study will provide a comparative analysis of the two biggest industrial-commercial interest groups in Turkey. The relationship between the policy suggestions of TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Businessmen Association), and MUSIAD (Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association) and economic policies implemented both at micro and macro level afterthe 1990’s has been placed under great scrutiny. In this paper, an overview of the positive theory of regulation along with the theory of collective action is provided in order to highlight the main discussions covered in existing literature. This paper claims that these two interest groups have conflicting incentives in terms of the regulatory process, arising from the characteristics of their members. Such a situation leads to a struggle to exert influence on governmental policies from which one group benefits, while the other is hurt. The model, adapted from Becker (1983) and partly Olson (1982) and later modified is an attempt to arrive at the optimum level of regulation which favors policies beneficial for each party. A general theory of lobbying and interest-groups in developing countries and specifically Turkey will therefore constitute the theoretical underpinning of this work while the absence of in-depth numeral indicators for the interest groups’ lobbying power dictates that descriptive statistics play an important role. This study will aim at searching out the exact cost and benefit for the groups involved as well as additional hidden factors that might incorporate explanatory power in understanding the relevant dynamics in the case of Turkey

Economics of Philanthropic Institutions, Regulation and Governance in Turkey

This paper merges the literature on regulation, specifically private provision of public goods, and governance with the literature on philanthropic institutions (awqaf) in Turkey. Traditionally, awqaf (plural for the waqf) have been very functional regarding the socioeconomic realms in Muslim societies. On the other hand, the provision of public goods is one of the core discussions under the literature on regulation and governance, particularly the property rights. This paper analyzes the role of waqf which has historically been more than a charitable organization: an economic agent in Turkey. Being a long-time provider of public goods, awqaf can be studied of property rights and regulation process, while its organizational structure could be considered as a subject to the firm theory. Turkish philanthropic institutions possess historical significance in terms of their organizational evolution and relationship to the changing governance structures in the country. Therefore, also discussed in this paper are the similarities and differences between the awqaf and Western charitable organizations, particularly in terms of organizational structures, definition of property rights, and their evolution under different governance-related structures such as rule of law and contract enforcement

Lobbying and Growth: Explaining Differences among OECD Countries

The paper is an attempt to observe the effects of the development of rent-seeking or lobbying groups on the growth pace of a number of countries. The relationship between the policy suggestions of competing interest groups, and economic policies implemented both at micro and macro level after the 1980s revealed the importance of lobbying effect on policies fostering or inhibiting most of the developing countries’ long-run growth levels. In addition to the vast literature on the positive theory of regulation and the theories of competition among the pressure groups, the current study is to provide some examples of the literature on lobbying and its effects on growth. Taking from Mancur Olson’s inspiring book, The Rise and Decline of Nations, this paper reviews the following literature and discussions with special emphasis on Gary Becker and Kevin M. Murphy’s works while adding an empirical component whether it is a panel or cross-country data analysis. Availability of the relevant data is a major concern due to the inconsistencies in measuring the size and effect of lobbying for each country. A set of countries including only the OECD members will constitute the subject of the empirical investigation. The dataset on the special interest groups is provided from K.G. Saur’s World Guide to Trade Associations as do the previous studies. For the purpose of the further research, some derivations and proposals would be provided to solve the puzzle. The study has the intuition that the development of lobbying powers is closely related to other political factors effective on growth rates such as democracy, civil society. Overall, the paper is to investigate the role of lobbying on growth rates on a multi-country level while implying the effects to change relatively in accordance with country specific effects. Thus the conclusion will state that depending on the country specific patterns, each OECD member exhibits slightly different effects of the relative size –by proxies- and number of business interest groups on growth due to the country specific effects. This work specifically focuses on Turkey which is shown to have negligible effect on the overall club members in terms of special interest groups on growth

Whither an axis shift: A perspective from Turkey's foreign trade

Our analysis will discuss Turkey’s changing direction, if any, in terms of its trade orientation. This paper argues that Turkey’s trade sector has maintained its long-standing direction towards the major European Union (EU) member countries with only minor setbacks, while new dimensions in bilateral trade have emerged not only due to Turkey’s changing foreign policy considerations but also global economic transformations. Moreover, this paper argues that Turkey’s trade partners are subject to these changes, as the epicentre of the global economy shifts, i.e. to the East. In the first section, a brief introduction with regards to Turkey’s foreign trade under the AK Party’s administration -since 2002 will be provided. The second section will discuss the scope of regional and worldwide changes in trade patterns and analyze the recent shift in Turkey’s trade orientation in the context of Asia’s economic and political rise in early 21st century. The Third section will focus on the role of political dynamics in Turkey’s trade sector and structural issues

The Nature of Lobbying and Regulation in Turkey

The policy-making and distributive effects of lobbying is a disturbing and highly debated issue in many developing countries. This study will provide a comparative analysis of the two biggest industrial-commercial interest groups in Turkey. The relationship between the policy suggestions of TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Businessmen Association), and MUSIAD (Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association) and economic policies implemented both at micro and macro level afterthe 1990’s has been placed under great scrutiny. In this paper, an overview of the positive theory of regulation along with the theory of collective action is provided in order to highlight the main discussions covered in existing literature. This paper claims that these two interest groups have conflicting incentives in terms of the regulatory process, arising from the characteristics of their members. Such a situation leads to a struggle to exert influence on governmental policies from which one group benefits, while the other is hurt. The model, adapted from Becker (1983) and partly Olson (1982) and later modified is an attempt to arrive at the optimum level of regulation which favors policies beneficial for each party. A general theory of lobbying and interest-groups in developing countries and specifically Turkey will therefore constitute the theoretical underpinning of this work while the absence of in-depth numeral indicators for the interest groups’ lobbying power dictates that descriptive statistics play an important role. This study will aim at searching out the exact cost and benefit for the groups involved as well as additional hidden factors that might incorporate explanatory power in understanding the relevant dynamics in the case of Turkey

İnsanlığın hafızasına ne oldu?

Okuduğum bir haberde Suriye iç savaşına dair insanların kendi imkânlarıyla amatör olarak çektiği birçok video içeriğinin Youtube tarafından şiddet içeriği taşıdığı gerekçesiyle kaldırıldığını yazıyordu. Haber dili açısından son derece normal ve sıradan sayılabilecek bir spot cümle olarak okunabilirdi. Fakat haber değeri açısından böyle bakılabilir miydi? Evet, sosyal medya araçlarında eklemek-çıkarmak, olmak-olmamak, bulunmak-yok olmak, o kadar kolay şeyler ki

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin İş Ahlakı Algısı ile Özel Sektör ve Kamu Çalışanlarının İş Ahlakı Uygulamalarının Karşılaştırılması

Bu ampirik araştırmada iş hayatı uygulamalarının belirlediği tutumlar ile üniversite öğrencilerin algıları karşılaştırılmıştır. Türkiye’de İstanbul ağırlıklı olmak üzere 135 üniversite öğrencisi, 148 özel sektör ve 117 kamu çalışanından elde edilen veriler deontolojik kuram temelinde bir yaklaşım ile analiz edilmiştir. Analizin ilk basamağında her üç grubun algı ve tutumları değerlendirilmiş, ikinci basamağında ise kamu-özel sektör çalışanlarının tutumları karşılaştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar, geleceğin çalışanları olacak öğrencilerin beklenti düzeyindeki iş ahlakı algılarının -ister kamu sektörü ister özel sektörde- çalışanların tutumlarından farklılaştığını, fakat çalışanlar grubu içinde böyle bir farklılığın olmadığını göstermesi bakımından anlamlıdır. Yine özel sektör ile kamu sektörü çalışanlarının iş ahlakı tutumlarındaki farklılaşmanın önemli ölçüde kamu sektörüne dair önermelerde ortaya çıkması, her iki sektör çalışanlarının iş hayatında sıkça karşı karşıya konumlanması neticesinde ortaya çıkmış görünmektedir

Firm Size and Financing Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from SMEs in Istanbul

This paper examines how small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Istanbul managed their financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A unique survey was conducted in May–June 2021 to analyze the effect of the pandemic on financial conditions and access to finance. The paper maps the differences between firms in terms of their financing conditions and behavior based on their size during the pandemic. The novel data set helps to conceptualize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs. The paper makes a contribution to the literature through using a large number of variables related to firms’ financial conditions and opportunities (e.g., credit restructuring, debt postponing, capital injection). The paper hypothesizes that SMEs are less likely than large firms to access formal finance opportunities, but they tend to rely more on informal financing. The empirical findings suggest that, during the pandemic, micro and small firms tend to borrow more from their acquaintances, such as relatives and friends. Micro firms are less likely to restructure their outstanding loans, borrow from banks, or inject capital. Furthermore, micro firms tend to cut their costs more to avoid further difficulty in their financial positions. Micro and small firms tend to apply for bank loans less than large firms, while medium-size firms are more likely to apply. Micro and small firms are more inclined to report difficulty in accessing credit

An ethno-veterinary study on plants used for the treatment of livestock diseases in Genç (Bingöl-Turkey)

There are a very limited number of studies on plants traditionally used in animal diseases in Turkey. As a result, valuable information is getting lost. Traditional plant use in Genç District (Turkey) was recorded by semi-structured interviews with breeders and shepherds. The collected information was subjected to quantitative analysis using the informant consensus factor. It was recorded that a total of 53 plants from 24 families were used in the traditional treatment of animal diseases. 8 of these plants are endemic plants with a narrow distribution area and were recorded for the first time by us. The breeders stated that they applied such plants to animals with peace in mind as these plants had been used for human treatment as well. This study is the first ethno-veterinary study conducted in the province. Phytochemical studies need to be carried out on medicinal plants used in livestock around Bingöl Province. We believe that the use of this preliminary information obtained from ethnoveterinary studies by researchers will contribute to the production of natural animal medicines