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Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs

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Abstract

This paper studies cross-country patterns of economicgrowth from the viewpoint of income distribution dynamics. Sucha perspective raises new empirical and theoretical issues ingrowth analysis: the profound empirical regularity is an “emergingtwin peaks” in the cross-sectional distribution, not simplepatterns of convergence or divergence. The theoretical problemsraised concern interaction patterns among subgroups of economies,not only problems of a single economy's accumulating factor inputsand technology for growth.

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Quah, D.T. Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs. Journal of Economic Growth 2, 27–59 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009781613339

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