Development problems: a modern quantitative view

Abstract

The problems of economic and social development are much more visible when a comprehensive approach is used in light of the progress of new methodologies. One of the problems of wide debate is the causes and consequences of corruption. Tillaguango & Erazo (2020) find that technology is a useful tool to mitigate corruption. It is consistent to conclude that technology can have a wide range of applications in monitoring, process transparency, and political control to prevent acts of corruption. In the same direction, Jumbo, Pambi & Guerrero-Riofrío (2020) find that the government integrity index has a significant impact on the human development index. These results have been widely commented in society and the evidence proves that corruption is a serious obstacle to development.
A second development problem is the incidence of low human capital in an economy, and the positive externalities generated by the accumulation of human capital. Jiménez, Torres & Cartuche (2020) find that human capital plays a relevant role in the growth of exports of high-tech products in Latin America. Another benefit of societal specialization is that it contributes to reducing the spread of HIV, in the cases of Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, two regions heavily affected by this disease (Cueva & Granda, 2020).
One of the traditional problems of economies is unemployment and low economic growth. Placencia, Rocano & Granda (2020) suggest that industrialization can be a policy tool to reduce unemployment, in particular to reduce unemployment fluctuations. Similarly, Jumbo, Gonzales & Flores-Chamba (2020) show that the role of entrepreneurship and urban concentration is beneficial to mitigate the problems of joblessness. In parallel, Gonzáles & Tillaguango (2020) point out that activities related to international tourism can contribute significantly to dynamize the economy. Cruz, Silva & López-Sánchez (2020) find that the relationship between manufacturing activity and growth is stable, both in the short and long term. These results suggest that manufacturing continues to play a relevant role in output growth. Similarly, Chuncho, Ruiz & Alvarado (2020) indicate that trade can contribute to improving the economic dynamics of countries. This volume ends with the research of Pineda & Ponce (2020), who find that remittances have a clear positive impact on increasing the human development of countries.
In general, the articles in Volume 8, Number 1, employ a broad set of panel data econometric techniques, favoring more consistent results. The contribution of this volume to the problems of development ends with a call to policymakers to favor human capital formation and technology, tourism, manufacturing specialization, and trade as mechanisms to accelerate the achievement of more sustainable economic and social development over time.