Reform redux: Measurement, determinants and growth implications

Measurement issues are one of the most important reasons for the highly contrasting findings in the literature on the effects of structural reforms on growth. This paper puts forward improved measures of economic liberalization across countries and over time, focusing on the unique experience of the transition economies. The paper shows that structural reforms, according to these new measures, follow a much richer dynamics than the one suggested by existing indexes. It also finds that such improved measures also generate stronger links with current theoretical work: in standard growth specifications, it finds that these new measures of reform have larger and more precisely estimated effects than the existing ones.

► The effect of reform on growth driven in large part by measurement issues. ► Improved measures of liberalization across transition countries are put forward. ► Structural reforms, according to these new measures, follow a much richer dynamics. ► New measures of reform have larger and more precisely estimated effects on growth.