Fragmentation and complexity: analyzing structural change in the Chicago regional economy

In this paper, two dimensions are differentiated within the fragmentation process: a spatial and a functional one. On the one hand, due to fragmentation and industrial relocation, regional and national economies might be losing some internal linkages. This spatial fragmentation determines a decrease in the complexity of the production systems. On the other hand, outsourcing, as a form of functional fragmentation, increases the density of transactions and linkages within an economy. The overall impact of fragmentation on the complexity of the regional and national economic systems depends on the net effect of these two fragmentation forces. In this paper, the effects of fragmentation on the complexity of the economy of the Chicago region are studied from a set of input-output tables estimated for the period 1978-2014 using Average Propagation Lengths (APLs)

The role of regions in global value chains: an analysis for the European Union

While considerable attention has been directed to the national-level impacts of global value chains, far less attention has been focused on the way in which global production fragmentation has affected regional economies. Using some measures derived from a multiregional, multisectoral input–output model, this paper analyzes the position and share of EU regions in Global Value Chains (GVC). The spatial determinants of these two dimensions are explored using spatial econometric methods to capture the influence of neighboring regions on these outcomes. Empirically, the focus is on a set of NUTS2 European regions for the most recent year (2010) of the EUREGIO database. Our results confirm the hypothesis of spatial dependence between regions conditioning the engagement and position GVCs, suggesting that global production processes are influenced by regional and local factors. In particular, spatial spillover effects play a significant role conditioned by both geographical proximity and similarity of production structures. The results show that sharing certain characteristics, some of them associated to their degree of proximity and the neighbouring situation of regions condition their specialization, participation and positioning in GVC, generating some important insights informative for the formulation of regional development policies

Linkages and Multipliers in a Multiregional Framework: Integration of Alternative Approaches

In this paper, two literatures that have explored the structure of economies are brought together. In the first case, the approaches to key sector identification (initially associated with Hirschman and Rasmussen) that were modified by Cella, Clements and Rossi and Guilhoto et al. to reveal what may be referred to a pure linkage approach are related to the concerns of Miyazawa and his identification of internal and external multiplier effects. While Miyazawa was interested mainly in identifying the sources of change in an economy, his approach shares considerable commonality with the new ideas in key sector identification in which a sector or set of sectors are separated from the rest of the economy. Hence, in both cases, a decomposition of the economy needs to be considered; the present paper reveals the similarity of perspective and provides the formal link between the two methodologies

Un análisis estructural de una economía regional a través de matrices de contabilidad social: 1990-1999

Social accounting matrices (SAM) are an instrument that enlarges the information provided by the input-output analysis. These matrices study the intersectoral relationships of an economy, the behaviour of the consumers, the public sector or the foreign sector, as long as they complete the income flow of rent. In this work, we use the SAM for Andalusia (region southern Spain) 1990, 1995 and 1999, to conduct a structural analysis of the Andalusian economy by means of the «path analysis» methodology and a multiplier decomposition. With these techniques, we obtain the changes in productive structure and we quantify the influence of sectoral shocks on this regional economy. Finally, we also identify which sectors have most strongly contributed to the regional economic activity in the last decade.Las matrices de contabilidad social (MCS) son un instrumento que permite ampliar la información proporcionada por el análisis input-output al recoger además de las relaciones intersectoriales de una economía, el comportamiento de los consumidores, el sector público o el sector exterior, logrando así completar el flujo circular de la renta. En este trabajo utilizamos las matrices de contabilidad social para Andalucía correspondientes a los años 1990, 1995 y 1999, elaboradas en trabajos previos. Con dicha información realizamos un análisis estructural de la economía andaluza mediante la metodología denominada paths analysis y la descomposición de multiplicadores. Con estas técnicas obtendremos los cambios experimentados en la estructura productiva y cuantificaremos la influencia que han ejercido los shocks experimentados por cada sector sobre sí mismos y sobre el resto de sectores de esta economía regional. Finalmente, nos preguntaremos qué sectores han contribuido en mayor medida a la activación económica regional

Neither here nor there: regionally targeted social policy or socially targeted regional policy? the first four years of Lula’s administration

The aim of regional policy is the attainment of a more efficient and/or equitable interregional distribution of economic activity (Temple, 1994). As demonstrated elsewhere (Haddad, 1999), Brazil has undergone, in the last twenty years or so, deep structural changes, responsible for the setback in the process of polarization reversal in the economy. After 1988, with the new Constitution, the central government was hampered by a profound loss in its revenues to the state and municipal governments. Nevertheless, the fiscal crisis reached all levels of government, decreasing their financial capability for carrying out new investment ventures. The lack of investment in economic infrastructure increased the average cost of production; producers were facing increasing costs due to the inefficient mechanisms of trade and transportation, which lagged technologically

Neither here nor there: regionally targeted social policy or socially targeted regional policy? the first four years of Lula’s administration

The aim of regional policy is the attainment of a more efficient and/or equitable interregional distribution of economic activity (Temple, 1994). As demonstrated elsewhere (Haddad, 1999), Brazil has undergone, in the last twenty years or so, deep structural changes, responsible for the setback in the process of polarization reversal in the economy. After 1988, with the new Constitution, the central government was hampered by a profound loss in its revenues to the state and municipal governments. Nevertheless, the fiscal crisis reached all levels of government, decreasing their financial capability for carrying out new investment ventures. The lack of investment in economic infrastructure increased the average cost of production; producers were facing increasing costs due to the inefficient mechanisms of trade and transportation, which lagged technologically

Econometric estimation of Armington import elasticities for a regional CGE model of the Illinois economy

One of the main concerns associated with the development and use of regional CGE models is the determination of key parameter values, particularly substitution and other price elasticities. A common problem is the lack of appropriate regional data for econometric estimation. Consequently, it is important to identify key parameters that are likely to be important in determining quantitative results and then to prioritize these for estimation where appropriate data are available. In this paper, the focus is on the estimation of the regional trade (import) substitution parameters, which tend to be important in analysis for regional economies (given their openness to trade). Here, commodity import elasticities for the Illinois economy are estimated and tested in a single region CGE model of the Illinois economy. In our econometric estimation, we apply a model that takes account of market size and distance in estimating the substitutability between commodities produced in Illinois and other US states

Issues of ideology in English language education worldwide: an overview

The relatively limited consideration of ideology in mainstream theory and research of teaching the English language to speakers of other languages has arguably prevented the problematization of many taken-for-granted perceptions and practices of the field. In this article I attempt to bring part of this marginalized body of scholarship on issues of ideology in the area of English language teaching (ELT) to highlight its potential insights for the field. The article sets out from a view of ideology as the most fundamental beliefs in any social practice, which may provide a less-formidable conception of the term and lessen the divergence among the minority of ELT researchers and professionals that do concern themselves with ideology. Then, after a brief sketch of the notion of ideology of language (education), I present an overview of aspects of this marginal but vibrant stream of thought on issues of ideology in ELT worldwide. Overall, the discussion is aimed to act as a call for the further understanding and embracement of sociopolitically-sensitive and ideologically-informed approaches to ELT theory, research, and practice