Zammit, Nicholas J. (2013) Three essays on the comparative growth of settler economies. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The traditional view of the Canadian economy from the late nineteenth century onward
has been one of failure relative to the United States. This thesis examines the
Canadian experience from the late nineteenth century in relation to other ‘settler
economies’. Similarities between these countries include their resource abundance,
low population density and European institutions. In the first essay, creation of
long-run, sectorally disaggregated, Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) adjusted Canadian/
Australian data reveals that the Canadian economy was characterised by relatively
strong and sustained growth in real output per capita and labour productivity.
This paper takes a first step in estimating the importance of many potentially relevant
factors. Results indicate that acceptance of foreign technology from abroad
was a significant determinant of success.
From 1870 to World War One, Canada performed particularly well against settler
economies like Australia and New Zealand in terms of output and productivity in
manufacturing. The second essay looks more deeply at the question of manufacturing
success. A novel approach is taken by applying non-parametric frontier analysis
to manufacturing census data in order to make cross-country efficiency comparisons.
Measures of Total Factor Productivity indicate that nineteenth century Canadian
manufacturing was surprisingly efficient relative to Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa.
The third essay takes a comparative approach in analysing market potential. Historically
there has been a predisposition to view settler economies like Canada and
Australia as part of a homogeneous ‘periphery’ relative to a British ‘metropole’.
This concept serves to mask important differences in the ‘peripherality’ of each
country. This study suggests the key geographical factor in explaining relative success
amongst settler economies was access to markets. Peripherality is observed
by estimating an aggregate measure of distance including adjustments for falling
transport costs, tariff barriers and border effects. This aggregate distance estimate
is used to form a measure of market potential that can be compared with observed
trade behaviour. Focus is on the Australian colonies given their acute isolation.
Counterfactuals are then generated to quantify the effects of distance on long-run
growth during the period from 1870 to World War One.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Economic development -- Canada, Canada -- Economic policy, Economic development -- Australia, Australia -- Economic policy, Canada -- Economic conditions, Australia -- Economic conditions
Official Date:	October 2013
Dates:	Date Event October 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Economics
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Broadberry, S. N.; Crafts, N. F. R.
Sponsors:	University of Warwick Postgraduate Research Scholarship (WPRS)
Extent:	1 volume (various pagings) : charts.
Language:	eng

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