Regional Policy, Economic Growth and Convergence

As well as analyzing the objectives, instruments and effects of Spain's regional policies, this text examines in detail the impact of investment in infrastructure, human capital and other areas, and its effect on productivity and regional competitiveness.

Many European, Latin American and Asian countries have experience with regional policies aiming to reduce regional disparities in GDP per capita and/or to develop problem regions helping to recover from its GDP decrease. Spain represents, without any doubt, a very rich and interesting case-study regarding regional problems and regional development policies.

The aim of this book is not only to analyze the regional policies practiced, their objectives, instruments and effects, but to provide an in-depth analysis on the impact of investments in infrastructure, human capital and other factors, as well as the advances accomplished in terms of productivity, convergence and regional competitiveness. The book particularly wants to impart knowledge, which can be useful for other countries' policy makers, as well as for academics, researchers and consultants.

The contributions selected have been written by prestigious Spanish academics, most of them also having practical experience in the field.

Inhalt
The Spanish Experiences of Regional Policies.- Spain as a Case-Study: Regional Problems and Policies.- Regional Economy and Policy in Spain (19601975).- The Evolution of Spanish Regional Policy, 19772008.- Regional Growth, Structural Changes and Convergence.- Macroeconomic Effects of the European Cohesion Policy in the Spanish Economy.- The Spanish Regional Puzzle: Convergence, Divergence and Structural Change.- The Sources of Spanish Regional Growth.- Regional Productivity Convergence and Changes in the Productive Structure.- Infrastructure Investment, Growth, and Regional Convergence in Spain.- Public Capital Effects and Regional Spillover in Spain.- Supply and Use of Human Capital in the Spanish Regions.- Inequality and Welfare in Intra-Territorial Income Distribution.- The Competiveness of the Spanish Regions.- Regional Growth and Regional Policies: Lessons from the Spanish Experience.