The role of financial development as a source of economic growth

Abstract

There has been a recent resurgence of the debate concerning the role of the financial system in economic growth. However, the goal in most of the literature seems to be to measure the impact of the former on the latter, using econometric relations. The present paper contributes to the literature by resuming the analysis of the canonic model of economic growth, whereby a financial variable is introduced as a factor that could permanently influence the rate of economic growth. This is considered by its degree of complementarity with capital accumulation and productivity, and not only as a factor that explains it. Through a macroeconomic framework, applicable for both developed and emerging economies, the above sheds light on the importance of the real effects of the development of the financial system on factors relating to economic growth.