O processo de convergência e a formação de clubes de convergência na economia mundial

Abstract

This paper analyses the process of convergence in the world economy in the 1950-1992 period, with the purpose of examining the factors that have contributed to the ocurrence of that process and to the ∗ Agradecemos o apoio recebido da FUNCAP e a bolsista do PIBIC/CNPq, Emanuela Andrade Costa, para realização desta pesquisa. ** Coordenador da pesquisa. Professor do curso de pós- graduação em economia(CAEN)da Universidade Federal do Ceará-UFC. *** Professor do Curso de Economia da Universidade Federal do Piauí e doutorando do CAEN.3 formation of “Convergence Clubs” . The data used have as sources the Penn World Table (1992) and Barro and Lee (1993). In the empirical tests the neoclassical model was used. Persistence tests were also performed. The results indicate the existence of a divergence process when all countries were considered, and a convergence process for the group of rich countries. Formation of Convergence Clubs was also identified. The introduction of auxiliary variables, schooling levels, degree of economic openess, to explain the conditional convergence did not result significant. The persistence tests, on the other hand, do indicate a trend in consolidation of the “Convergence Clubs”