Journal of Economic Literature
ISSN 0022-0515 (Print) | ISSN 2328-8175 (Online)
Capital Account Liberalization: Theory, Evidence, and Speculation
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 45,
no. 4, December 2007
(pp. 887–935)
Abstract
Research on the macroeconomic impact of capital account liberalization finds few, if any, robust effects of liberalization on real variables. In contrast to the prevailing wisdom, I argue that the textbook theory of liberalization holds up quite well to a critical reading of this literature. Most papers that find no effect of liberalization on real variables tell us nothing about the empirical validity of the theory because they do not really test it. This paper explains why it is that most studies do not really address the theory they set out to test. It also discusses what is necessary to test the theory and examines papers that have done so. Studies that actually test the theory show that liberalization has significant effects on the cost of capital, investment, and economic growth.Citation
Henry, Peter, Blair. 2007. "Capital Account Liberalization: Theory, Evidence, and Speculation." Journal of Economic Literature, 45 (4): 887–935. DOI: 10.1257/jel.45.4.887JEL Classification
- E44 Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
- F32 Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
- O41 One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models