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Working Papers
Motu working papers are research materials circulated by their authors for the purpose of information and discussion. They are reviewed, but not formally refereed. Any opinions expressed in papers are those of the author and do not represent a Motu position.
Ideas for Growth?
There is much talk of the knowledge economy, and the central role of ideas and knowledge in generating economic growth. This paper provides a brief review of the economic literature on how skills/knowledge/ideas might contribute to higher output or higher rates of growth. Ideas are...
Maré, David C. 2003. "Ideas for Growth?" Motu Working Paper 03-19.
Insolvency and Economic Development: Regional Variation and Adjustment
This paper examines the determinants of the rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand. The study incorporates two key features. First, we use regional as well as national data to explain insolvencies. The data cover six regions which have had a variety of economic experiences over the sample...
Fabling, Richard and Arthur Grimes. 2003. "Insolvency and Economic Development: Regional Variation and Adjustment," Motu Working Paper 03-18.
La Migración y el Medio Natural en las Islas Galápagos
Un análisis de los incentivos económicos y las políticas que impulsan tendencias migratorias en las Islas Galápagos, los potenciales impactos del control migratorio en la sociedad y en el ambiente, y las políticas potenciales para reducir la presión por migración.
...Kerr, Suzi; Susana Cardenas and Joanna Hendy. 2003. "La Migración y el Medio Natural en las Islas Galápagos," Motu Working Paper 17-03. Also published in English.
Migration and the Environment in the Galapagos
From 1974 through 1997 the Galapagos experienced very rapid population growth, around six per cent per year. Sustained at this level, the population would continue to double every 12 years. Increased population brings an increased risk of invasive introduced species, which endangers the...
Kerr, Suzi; Susana Cardenas and Joanna Hendy. 2003. "Migration and the Environment in the Galapagos: An Analysis of Economic and Policy Incentives Driving Migration, Potential Impacts from Migration Control, and Potential Policies to Reduce Migration Pressure," Motu Working Paper 03-17. Also published en español.
Understanding New Zealand’s Changing Income Distribution 1983-98: A Semiparametric Analysis
This paper analyses changes in the distribution of equivalised gross household income and income inequality in New Zealand between 1983 and 1998. We analyse the distributional effects of changes in household structure, National Superannuation (old age pension), household socio-demographic...
Hyslop, Dean and David C. Maré. 2003. "Understanding New Zealand’s Changing Income Distribution 1983-98: A Semiparametric Analysis," Motu Working Paper 03-16.
Indigenous Forests and Forest Sink Policy in New Zealand
This paper tackles the complex issue of how to include regenerating indigenous forest in a domestic carbon credit system. The paper specifically addresses New Zealand conditions but most of the issues and conclusions are relevant in any developed country with indigenous regrowth. The paper...
Kerr, Suzi. 2003. "Indigenous Forests and Forest Sink Policy in New Zealand," Motu Working Paper 03-15.
Would Adopting the US Dollar Have Led to Improved Inflation, Output and Trade Balances for New Zealand in the 1990s?
Deterministic simulations with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s core FPS model show how New Zealand’s broad macroeconomic environment might have evolved over the 1990s, if a US nominal yield curve and US TWI exchange rate movements under a common currency arrangement had been experienced....
Hall, Viv and Angela Huang. 2003. "Would Adopting the US Dollar Have Led to Improved Inflation, Output and Trade Balances for New Zealand in the 1990s?" Motu Working Paper 03-14.
Movements Into And Out Of Child Poverty In New Zealand: Results From The Linked Income Supplement
This paper considers the dynamics of child income poverty in New Zealand. Annual movements into and out of poverty by children’s households in New Zealand over the 1997/98, 1998/99, and 1999/2000 periods are analysed. The annual Income Supplement to the Household Labour Force Survey allows...
Ballantyne, Suzie; Simon Chapple, David C. Maré and Jason Timmins. 2003. "Movements Into and Out of Child Poverty in New Zealand: Results From The Linked Income Supplement," Motu Working Paper 03-13.
Efficient Contracts For Carbon Credits From Reforestation Projects
This paper tackles the complex issue of how buyers and sellers within a domestic carbon credit system designed to include regenerating indigenous forest would optimally design contracts for trades of the new good, “carbon sink credits”. The paper begins by briefly defining the constraints...
Kerr, Suzi. 2003. "Efficient Contracts For Carbon Credits From Reforestation Projects," Motu Working Paper 03-12.
Longrun Trends in New Zealand Industry Assistance
New Zealand has had a complex process of adjusting commercial policy since the economic reforms began in 1984. This paper reports on the results of a research project to estimate the trends in industry assistance over this period and the variance of assistance within 2-digit industry...
Lattimore, Ralph. 2003. "Longrun Trends in New Zealand Industry Assistance," Motu Working Paper 03-11.
Economic Growth and the Size and Structure of Government: Implications for New Zealand
The work of Gwartney, Holcombe and Lawson (GHL, 1998) is cited in New Zealand debate to demonstrate that a larger government share of GDP is detrimental for economic growth. Their work is reassessed here. We find a number of omissions in their analysis lead to a considerable over-statement...
Grimes, Arthur. 2003. "Economic Growth and the Size and Structure of Government: Implications for New Zealand," Motu Working Paper 03-10.
Housing and Economic Adjustment
Housing is the most important component of wealth for many New Zealanders. Its location is fixed and its value is influenced by economic and other factors specific to that location. Hence when people live in owner-occupied homes their wealth is strongly associated with their local economic...
Grimes, Arthur; Suzi Kerr and Andrew Aitken. 2003. "Housing and Economic Adjustment," Motu Working Paper 03-09.
Moving to Jobs
Maré, David C. and Jason Timmins. 2003. "Moving to Jobs," Motu Working Paper 03-07.
Carbon Dynamics and Land-Use Choices: Building a Regional-Scale Multidisciplinary Model
Policy enabling tropical forests to approach their potential contribution to global-climate-change mitigation requires forecasts of land use and carbon storage on a large scale over long periods. In this paper, we present an integrated modeling methodology that addresses these needs. We...
Kerr, Suzi; Liu Shuguang, Alexander Pfaff and Flint Hughes. 2003. "Carbon Dynamics and Land-Use Choices: Building a Regional-Scale Multidisciplinary Model," Motu Working Paper 03-06.
Motu, Excellence in Economic Research and the Challenges of ‘Human Dimensions’ Research
Kerr, Suzi. 2003. "Motu, Excellence in Economic Research and the Challenges of ‘Human Dimensions’ Research," Motu Working Paper 03-05.
Joint Implementation in Climate Change Policy
The textbook economists’ model of a tradable permit system cannot usually be applied perfectly at either the domestic or international scale because of the difficulty and/or expense of defining allocations to and monitoring emissions of some groups, as well as for political reasons. It may...
Kerr, Suzi and Catherine Leining. 2003. "Joint Implementation in Climate Change Policy," Motu Working Paper 03-04.
Do Lower Expected Wage Benefits Explain Ethnic Gaps in Job-Related Training? Evidence from New Zealand
Many studies show that individuals from ethnic minority groups receive low levels of job-related training, raising the question of whether lower expected wage benefits contribute to this lack of training. In this paper, unit record data are used to examine the effect of job-related training...
Gibson, John. 2003. "Do Lower Expected Wage Benefits Explain Ethnic Gaps in Job-Related Training? Evidence from New Zealand," Motu Working Paper 03-03.
Evaluating the New Zealand Individual Transferable Quota Market for Fisheries Management
The New Zealand ITQ system is a dynamic institution that has had many refinements since its inception more than 15 years ago. Nonetheless, the basic tenets of the system - setting a total allowable catch and leaving the market to determine the most profitable allocation of fishing effort -...
Kerr, Suzi; Richard Newell and James Sanchirico. 2003. "Evaluating the New Zealand Individual Transferable Quota Market for Fisheries Management," Motu Working Paper 03-02.
Allocating risks in a domestic greenhouse gas trading system
As tradeable permit programmes mature, two inter-related issues are becoming more critical in creating viable responses to a long-term, highly uncertain environmental problem such as climate change. First, we need to update policies in response to new information; and second, we need to...
Kerr, Suzi. 2003. "Allocating risks in a domestic greenhouse gas trading system," Motu Working Paper 03-01.
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