Intellectual Property Rights, Migration, and Diaspora

In this paper we study theoretically and empirically the role of the interaction between skilled migration and intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection in determining innovation in developing countries (South). We show that although emigration from the South may directly result in the well-known concept of brain drain, it also causes a brain gain effect, the extent of which depends on the level of IPRs protection in the sending country. We argue this to come from a diaspora channel through which the knowledge acquired by emigrants abroad can flow back to the South and enhance the skills of the remaining workers there. By increasing the size of the innovation sector and the skill-intensity of emigration, IPRs protection makes it more likely for diaspora gains to dominate, thus facilitating a potential net brain gain. Our main theoretical insights are then tested empirically using a panel dataset of emerging and developing countries. The findings reveal a positive correlation between emigration and innovation in the presence of strong IPRs protection.

The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants

We investigate the origin and evolution of the legal institution of citizenship. We compile a new data set on citizenship laws across countries of the world which documents how these institutions have evolved from the legal tradition of common and civil law established in the course of the 19th century. We show that in the postwar period citizenship laws have responded endogenously and systematically to economic and institutional determinants. Original citizenship laws tend to affect the current legislation persistently, with a particularly strong tendency for jus sanguinis to be preserved despite discontinuities in the transplanting process for former colonies. The presence of a large stock of migrants tends to limit the application of jus soli elements, although there is also evidence of a contrasting tendency for those jus sanguinis countries exposed to large immigration. The results hold after controlling for additional factors such as the degree of democracy, border stability, the welfare burden, demographics, and cultural characteristics.citizenship laws, international migration, legal origins, democracy, borders

Intellectual Property Rights, Migration, and Diaspora

In this paper we study theoretically and empirically the role of the interaction between skilled migration and intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection in determining innovation in developing countries (South). We show that although emigration from the South may directly result in the well-known concept of brain drain, it also causes a brain gain effect, the extent of which depends on the level of IPRs protection in the sending country. We argue this to come from a diaspora channel through which the knowledge acquired by emigrants abroad can flow back to the South and enhance the skills of the remaining workers there. By increasing the size of the innovation sector and the skill-intensity of emigration, IPRs protection makes it more likely for diaspora gains to dominate, thus facilitating a potential net brain gain. Our main theoretical insights are then tested empirically using a panel dataset of emerging and developing countries. The findings reveal a positive correlation between emigration and innovation in the presence of strong IPRs protection.Intellectual property rights; Migration; Technology transfer; Brain gain; Diaspora.

Intellectual Property Rights, Migration, and Diaspora

In this paper we study theoretically and empirically the role of the interaction between skilled migration and intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection in determining innovation in developing countries (South). We show that although emigration from the South may directly result in the well-known concept of brain drain, it also causes a brain gain effect, the extent of which depends on the level of IPRs protection in the sending country. We argue this to come from a diaspora channel through which the knowledge acquired by emigrants abroad can flow back to the South and enhance the skills of the remaining workers there. By increasing the size of the innovation sector and the skill-intensity of emigration, IPRs protection makes it more likely for diaspora gains to dominate, thus facilitating a potential net brain gain. Our main theoretical insights are then tested empirically using a panel dataset of emerging and developing countries. The findings reveal a positive correlation between emigration and innovation in the presence of strong IPRs protection.technology transfer, migration, intellectual property rights, brain gain, diaspora

Citizenship laws and international migration in historical perspective

We investigate the origin, impact and evolution of the legal institution of citizenship. We compile a dataset across countries of the world from the 19th century, which documents how citizenship laws have evolved from the common and civil law traditions. Contrary to the predictions of legal theory, we show that the original, exogenously-given citizenship laws did not matter for migration flows during the early, mass migrations period. After WWII, citizenship-granting institutions are no longer exogenous as they are shown to be determined by international migration flows, border stability, the establishment of democracy, the welfare burden, cultural factors, and colonial history. -- Wir untersuchen die Entstehung, die Bedeutung und die Entwicklung des Staatsbürgerschaftsrechtes. Es wird ein Datensatz von Ländern zur Zeit des 19. Jahrhunderts zusammengestellt, der dokumentiert, wie Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetze aus gewohnheits- und zivilrechtlichen Traditionen entstanden sind. Entgegen den Voraussagen der Rechtstheorie kommen wir zu dem Ergebnis, dass die ursprünglichen, exogen gegebenen Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetze keinen Einfluss auf die Migrationsströme der frühen Massenmigrationsperiode hatten. Seit dem zweiten Weltkrieg kann man die staatsbürgerschaftsrechtlichen Normen und Institutionen nicht mehr als gegeben betrachten. Vielmehr zeigt sich, dass sie durch internationale Migrationsbewegungen, die Stabilität von Grenzen, das Vorhandensein einer demokratischen Ordnung, die Belastung der Wohlfahrt, kulturelle Faktoren sowie die Kolonialgeschichte bestimmt werden.Citizenship laws,international migration,legal origins,democracy,borders

International Migration and the Role of Institutions

We study the determinants of international migration with special attention to the role of institutional factors other than economic and demographic fundamentals. We evaluate the impact of political institutions and of those institutions specifically targeted at attracting migrants. For a dataset on 19th century migration, we find that economic and demographic differentials play a major role, but that the quality of institutions also matter. We produce evidence that both political and migration institutions represent significant factors of attraction, even after controlling for their potential endogeneity through a set of instruments exploiting colonial history and the institutions inherited from the past.International Migration, Institutions, Democracy, Migration Policy, Colonial History

Citizenship Laws and International Migration in Historical Perspective

We investigate the origin, impact and evolution of citizenship laws. Citizenship laws originate from the common and civil law traditions, which apply jus soli and jus sanguinis, respectively. We compile a data set across countries of the world starting from the 19th century. The impact of the original, exogenously-given laws on international migration proves insignificant for the early, mass migration waves, which confirm to be driven primarily by economic incentives. Postwar convergence of citizenship laws is determined by legal tradition and international migration, but also by border stability, the establishment of democracy, the welfare burden, cultural factors and colonial history.Citizenship laws, International migration, Legal origins, Democracy, Borders

Real Wages over the Business Cycle: OECD Evidence from the Time and Frequency Domains

We study differences in the adjustment of aggregate real wages in the manufacturing sector over the business cycle across OECD countries, combining results from different data and dynamic methods. Summary measures of cyclicality show genuine cross-country heterogeneity even after controlling for the impact of data and methods. We find that more open economies and countries with stronger unions tend to have less pro-cyclical (or more counter-cyclical) wages. We also find a positive correlation between the cyclicality of real wages and employment, suggesting that policy complementarities may influence the adjustment of both quantities and prices in the labour market.dynamic correlation, business cycle, real wages, labour market institutions

Cambio social y moralidad

Texto sobre el libro “Moralidad y modernidad: el porvenir de la ética” de Ross Poole. Se incluye obra visual de Lucía Maya, reproducida en blanco y negro.ITESO, A.C

El liberalismo económico en el siglo XIX

Reseña del libro “La gran transformación: crítica del liberalismo económico” de Karl Polanyi. Incluye obra visual de Benito Zamora, reproducida en blanco y negro.ITESO, A.C