RECERCAT - Història i Institucions Econòmiques

Fertilizing Methods and Nutrient Balance at the End of Traditional Organic Agriculture in the Mediterranean Bioregion: Catalonia (Spain) in the 1860s

Fertilizing Methods and Nutrient Balance at the End of Traditional Organic Agriculture in the Mediterranean Bioregion: Catalonia (Spain) in the 1860s Tello, Enric; Garrabou, Ramon, 1937-; Cussó i Segura, Xavier; Olarieta, José Ramón; Galán del Castillo, Elena By reconstructing the nutrient balance of a Catalan v illage circa 1861
65 we examine the sustainability of organic agricultural sy stems in the northwest Mediterranean bioregion prior to the green rev olution and the question of whether the nutrients extracted f rom the soil were replenished. With a population density of 59 inhabitants per square km, similar to other northern European rural areas at that time, and a lower liv estock density per cropland unit, this v illage experienced a manure shortage. The gap was f illed by other labour-intensiv e way s of transf erring nutrients f rom uncultiv ated areas into the cropland. Key elements in this agricultural sy stem were v iney ards because they hav e f ew nutrient requirements, and woodland and scrublands as sources of relev ant amounts of nutrients collected in sev eral ways.

Pork Barrel politics in semi-democracies: the Spanish 'Parlamentary roads', 1874-1915

Pork Barrel politics in semi-democracies: the Spanish 'Parlamentary roads', 1874-1915 Curto-Grau, Marta; Herranz Loncán, Alfonso; Solé Ollé, Albert This paper analyzes the effects of parliamentary representation on road infrastructure expenditure during the Spanish Restoration. Using a panel dataset of Spanish provinces in 1880-1914 we find that the allocation of administrative resources among provinces depended both on the delegation characteristics (such as the share of MPs with party leadership positions, and their degree of electoral independence), and the regime"s global search for stability. These results point to the importance of electoral dynamics within semi-democratic political systems, and offer an example of the influence of government tactics on infrastructure allocation.

Tindara Addabbo, Marie-Pierre Arrizabalaga, Cristina Borderías y Alastair Owens (eds.), Gender Inequalities, Households and the Production of Well-being in Modern Europe

Tindara Addabbo, Marie-Pierre Arrizabalaga, Cristina Borderías y Alastair Owens (eds.), Gender Inequalities, Households and the Production of Well-being in Modern Europe Herranz Loncán, Alfonso Ressenya del llibre: 'Gender Inequalities, Households and the Production of Well-being in Modern Europe'

La reducción de los costes de transporte en España (1800-1936)

La reducción de los costes de transporte en España (1800-1936) Herranz Loncán, Alfonso This paper describes the improvement that took place in the Spanish transport system between 1800 and 1936. The text points out that, despite the investment efforts that were carried out between 1840 and 1855, the process of transport cost reduction only experienced substantial progress after 1855. The largest transport cost decrease of the period under consideration took place during the three decades between 1855 and the great depression of the late nineteenth century, through the substitution of the railroad for the traditional transport means in the main routes of the country, as well as through the gradual reduction of the price of railway transport. The process went on more slowly later on, thanks to the construction of additional raillway lines (until 1895) and the enlargement of the secondary road network. The process of transport cost reduction accelerated again from the 1920s onwards, thanks to the diffusion of the automobile technology.

Una aproximación a la evolución de la ciencia regional en España a través de las contribuciones a las Reuniones de Estudios Regionales (1973-2004)

Una aproximación a la evolución de la ciencia regional en España a través de las contribuciones a las Reuniones de Estudios Regionales (1973-2004) Herranz Loncán, Alfonso This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the contributions that have been presented to the 30 Spanish Regional Studies Meetings which have been hold since 1973. Firstly, the paper displays rankings of the authors and institutions that have participated more actively in the Meetings. Secondly, the paper analyses the main changes in the objectives, topics and research techniques of the contributions, as well as in the scientific specialisation of their authors. This analysis allows drawing some conclusions on the evolution of Regional Science in Spain throughout the last 30 years.

Railroad Impact in Backward Economies: Spain, 1850-1913

Railroad Impact in Backward Economies: Spain, 1850-1913 Herranz Loncán, Alfonso This article reassesses the economic impact of Spanish railroads in 1850-1913, which has been usually considered to be substantially higher than in the most developed countries on the basis of the social saving methodology. The application of growth accounting techniques shows, by contrast, that the direct contribution of railroads to economic growth was lower in Spain than in the UK, mainly due to the low importance that railroad transport had within Spanish GDP before 1913.

The Spatial Distribution of Spanish Transport Infrastructure between 1860 and 1930

The Spatial Distribution of Spanish Transport Infrastructure between 1860 and 1930 Herranz Loncán, Alfonso The origin of Spanish regional economic divergence can be traced back at least until the seventeenth century, although its full definition took place during industrialisation. Historians have often included uneven regional infrastructure endowments among the factors that explain divergence among Spanish regions, although no systematic analysis of the spatial distribution of Spanish infrastructure and its determinants has been carried out so far. This paper aims at filling that gap, by offering a description of the regional distribution of the main Spanish transport infrastructure between the middle of the nineteenth century and the Civil War. In addition, it estimates a panel data model to search into the main reasons that explain the differences among the Spanish regional endowments of railways and roads during that period. The outcomes of that analysis indicate that both institutional factors and the physical characteristics of each area had a strong influence on the distribution of transport infrastructure among the Spanish regions.

Infrastructure Investment and Spanish Economic Growth, 1850-1935

Infrastructure Investment and Spanish Economic Growth, 1850-1935 Herranz Loncán, Alfonso This paper analyzes the impact of infrastructure investment on Spanish economic growth between 1850 and 1935. Using new infrastructure data and VAR techniques, this paper shows that the growth impact of local-scope infrastructure investment was positive, but returns to investment in large nation-wide networks were not significantly different from zero. Two complementary explanations are suggested for the last result. On the one hand, public intervention and the application of non-efficiency investment criteria were very intense in large network construction. On the other hand, returns to new investment in large networks might have decreased dramatically once the basic links were constructed.

A comparison of the processes of institutionalisation of political economy in Spain and Italy (1860-1900)

A comparison of the processes of institutionalisation of political economy in Spain and Italy (1860-1900) San Julián Arrupe, F. Javier [spa] El estudio de los procesos a través de los cuales la economía política se ha transformado en una disciplina académica es un área de creciente interés en la historia del pensamiento económico. Dicho estudio se ha abordado a través del análisis de la importancia de la economía política en un conjunto de instituciones, consideradas clave en la expansión de la economía en las sociedades occidentales en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX y primeras décadas del XX: universidades, sociedades económicas, publicaciones periódicas de contenido económico y los parlamentos nacionales. Este papel presenta una comparación entre los desarrollos del proceso de institutionalización de la economía política en España e Italia, a través del estudio de la presencia de esta disciplina en las instituciones mencionadas para el periodo 1860-1900. El objetivo es medir la posible existencia de una vía común en la institucionalización de la economía política en ambos países, como un primer paso hacia la elaboración de un modelo supranacional de institucionalización de la economía en este periodo.; [eng] The institutionalisation of political economy, this is, the processes through which political economy turned into a scholarly discipline, has become a field of increasing interest in the realm of the history of economic thought. The analysis of the evolution of these processes has been made through the study of the presence and significance of political economy in some key institutions, considered the pillars of the diffusion of economics in Western societies in the second half of the 19th century and first decades of the 20th: universities, economic associations, economic periodical publications and the national parliaments. This paper presents a comparison between the development of the process of institutionalisation of political economy in Spain and Italy, through the study of the presence of political economy in the aforementioned set of institutions in both countries in the period 1860-1900. Its aim is to assess the existence of a common path in the development of this process in both countries. This would be a starting point in order to test the existence of a model of institutionalisation of economics in this period.

Economic ideas and economists in the Parliament in the liberal age: The attempt to implement a tax on incomes in Spain in 1868-1869

Economic ideas and economists in the Parliament in the liberal age: The attempt to implement a tax on incomes in Spain in 1868-1869 San Julián Arrupe, F. Javier [spa] El estudio de la presencia de ideas económicas en los debates parlamentarios se ha convertido recientemente en un objeto importante dentro de la investigación sobre el proceso de institucionalización de la economía política en Europa Occidental en la llamada era liberal. En este marco general, este artículo se centra en el análisis de un caso de particular interés: La relevancia del pensamiento económico y el papel jugado por los economistas en los debates parlamentarios que siguieron a la creación de un nuevo impuesto que trataba de captar la renta personal, que fue lanzado por el ministro de Hacienda Laureano Figuerola en 1868. El artículo intenta demostrar, en primer lugar, que las ideas económicas jugaron efectivamente un papel relevante en las discusiones sobre el impuesto sobre la renta y que la presencia e influencia de los economistas en el Legislativo en este tiempo fue notable. En segundo lugar, que este fue un intento serio de modernizar la estructura fiscal española llevado a cabo por el Gobierno Provisional, el cual trató de diseñar un sistema impositivo capaz de fomentar el crecimiento económico del país.; [eng] The presence of economic ideas in parliamentary debates is a field of study that has increasingly gained attention within the wider subject of the institutionalisation of political economy in the so called liberal age in Western world. Within this general framework, this paper focuses on a particular case: It studies the relevance of economic ideas and the role of economists in the debates which took place in the Spanish Parliament following the bill issued by the Minister of Finances Laureano Figuerola in order to establish a tax on personal incomes in 1868. The article attempts to show, first, that economic ideas played a significant role in the design and the subsequent discussions about the income tax, and that the presence and influence of economists in the Parliament at that time was remarkable. Secondly, that this was a serious attempt to modernise the structure of taxation in Spain after the liberal revolution of 1868, seeking to devise a fiscal system capable to foster economic development.

The determinants of social spending in Spain, 1950-1980, Are dictatorships less redistributive?

The determinants of social spending in Spain, 1950-1980, Are dictatorships less redistributive? Espuelas Barroso, Sergio [spa] La mayoría de estudios sobre el Estado del Bienestar, hasta el momento, se han centrado en países democráticos y ricos. Sin embargo, los países pobres y no democráticos han recibido mucha menos atención. Este artículo aporta nueva evidencia empírica sobre la evolución del gasto social en España y Portugal entre 1950 y 1980. A partir de ésta se ha podido analizar la relación entre dictaduras y redistribución, ya que ambos países sufrieron gobiernos no democráticos durante la mayor parte del periodo. Además del gasto social público y su clasificación por funciones, en este artículo se analiza también la forma de financiación de dicho gasto social.; [eng] Most of the studies about the welfare state have focused so far on the affluent democracies. However, poorer and non-democratic countries have deserved less attention. This paper provides new evidence on the evolution of social spending in both Spain and Portugal between 1950 and 1980. Since both of them were dictatorships throughout almost the whole period, that new evidence allows us to study the relationship between dictatorships and redistribution. In addition to the level of social spending and its distribution among different items, the way in which social spending is financed is also analyzed in this paper.

Land use changes, landscape ecology and their socioeconomic driving forces in the Spanish Mediterranean coast (the Maresme County, 1850-2005)

Land use changes, landscape ecology and their socioeconomic driving forces in the Spanish Mediterranean coast (the Maresme County, 1850-2005) Parcerisas i Benedé, Lluís, 1978-; Marull López, Joan; Pino i Vilalta, Joan; Tello, Enric; Coll, Francesc; Basnou, Corina [cat] Utilitzem un conjunt de mètriques del paisatge per estudiar l'evolució a llarg termini seguida en una típica zona costanera del Mediterrani des de 1850 fins a 2005, que mostren una greu deterioració del medi ambient entre 1950 i 2005. Les principals forces motores d'aquesta degradació del paisatge han estat el creixement urbà experimentat a les antigues zones agrícoles situades a les planes litorals, juntament amb l'abandonament i la reforestació dels vessants dels pujols interceptats per àrees residencials de baixa densitat, carreteres i altres infraestructures lineals. Duem a terme una anàlisi estadística de redundància (RDA) amb la finalitat d'identificar els que considerem com alguns agents rectors socioeconòmics i polítics d'última instància d'aquests impactes ambientals. Els resultats confirmen les nostres hipòtesis interpretatives, que són que: 1) els canvis en les cobertes i usos del sòl determinen canvis en les propietats dels paisatge, tant estructurals com funcionals; 2) aquests canvis no es produeixen per atzar, sinó que estan relacionats amb factors geogràfics i forces socioeconòmiques i polítiques.; [eng] We use a set of landscape metrics to study the long-term environmental transformation of a typical coastal Mediterranean area from 1850 to 2005. Our figures show a dramatic environmental deterioration between 1950 and 2005. The main proximate drivers of this landscape degradation are the effects of urban sprawl on former agricultural areas located in the coastal plains, together with the abandonment and reforestation of hilly slopes intercepted by low-density residential areas, highways, and other linear infrastructures. We carry out a statistical redundancy analysis (RDA) to identify certain ultimate socioeconomic and political drivers of these environmental impacts. The results confirm our interpretive hypothesis that: 1) land cover changes determine changes in landscape properties, both structural and functional; 2) these changes are not at random, but related to geographical endowments and socioeconomic or political drivers.

An agency-oriented model to explain vine-growing specialization in the province of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) in the mid-nineteenth century

An agency-oriented model to explain vine-growing specialization in the province of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) in the mid-nineteenth century Badia-Miró, Marc; Tello, Enric [cat] En aquest treball presentem un model per explicar el procés d’especialització vitícola assolit als municipis de la província de Barcelona, a mitjans del s. XIX,que cerca entendre com va sorgir històricament un avantatge comparatiu fruit d’un procés que esdevindria un dels punts de partida del procés d’industrialització a Catalunya. Els resultats confirmen els papers jugats pel impuls “Boserupià” de la població en un context d’intensificació de l’ús de la terra, i d’un impuls del mercat “Smithià” en un context d’expansió de la demanda per part de les economies atlàntiques. També es posa de manifest la importància de les dotacions agro-ecològiques i les condicions socioinstitucionals relacionades amb la desigualtat d’ingrés. La difusió de la vinya donà com a resultat unes comunitats rurals menys desiguals fins al 1820, tot i que aquesta desigualtat augmentà de nou a partir d'aleshores.; [eng] We present a model of vine-growing specialization in the municipalities of the province of Barcelona in the mid-19th century that explains how a comparative advantage arose through a process deemed to be one of the starting points for Catalan industrialization. The results confirm the roles played by the ‘Boserupian’ population-push on land-use intensification and the ‘Smithian’ market-pull in a growing demand from the Atlantic economy. They also stress the conditioning function of agro-ecological endowments and socio-institutional settings related to income inequality. Vineyard planting gave rise to less unequal rural communities until 1820, but inequality grew again afterwards.

The origins of "Made in Spain fashion". The competitive advantage of the textile, apparel and footwear districts since the Golden Age

The origins of "Made in Spain fashion". The competitive advantage of the textile, apparel and footwear districts since the Golden Age Catalán, Jordi; Ramon-Muñoz, Ramon, 1967 [cat] Aquest article explora les fonts de l’avantatge competitiu dels districtes industrials espanyols especialitzats en productes tèxtils, confecció i calçat. Posa de manifest que la majoria de les principals empreses espanyoles de productes de moda en els mercats internacionals van sorgir de districtes existents en els anys 1980s. A partir de l’ús d’una nova base de dades, el present article conclou que en aquest darrer període hi havia tants districtes exportadors neo-Marshallians, dominats per petites empreses, com districtes amb empreses líders, coordinats per mitjanes i grans firmes. Probablement aquesta circumstància va permetre que les empreses que poblaven aquests darrers districtes poguessin combinar els avantatges derivats de les economies externes de Marshall (és a dir, l’existència de coneixement no codificat, d’indústries auxiliars i de mà d’obra especialitzada) amb els relacionats amb les capacitats organitzatives de les empreses líders.; [eng] This paper explores the sources of competitive advantage of the Spanish export industrial districts that specialised in textile, apparel and footwear products. It shows that most of the nowadays outstanding Spanish firms in fashion-related international markets emerged from 1980s districts. Using a new database, the paper concludes that by then there were as many neo-Marshallian exporting districts dominated by small firms as hub-firm districts coordinated by medium-large companies. This probably allowed the latter to combine the advantages derived from Marshallian external economies (i.e. non-codified knowledge, subsidiary industries and specialized labour force) with those connected to leading firms’ organizational capabilities.

The inequality trap. A comparative analysis of social spending between 1880 and 1933

The inequality trap. A comparative analysis of social spending between 1880 and 1933 Espuelas Barroso, Sergio [spa] Utilizando dos indicadores alternativos de redistribución –las transferencias sociales y el gasto social- durante el periodo de tiempo comprendido entre 1880 y 1933, y utilizando dos indicadores alternativos de desigualdad –el porcentaje de explotaciones agrarias no familiares y los top income shares-, este papel muestra que, al contrario de lo que muchos estudios sobre los origines del Estado del Bienestar suelen sugerir, la desigualdad no favoreció el desarrollo de la política social ni siquiera en sus etapas iniciales. Ello significa que la política social se desarrolló más rápidamente en los países que previamente ya eran más igualitarios, lo que sugiere que los países con más desigualdad se encontraban en una especie de trampa de la desigualdad, donde la desigualdad en si misma fue uno de los obstáculos a la redistribución.; [eng] Using two alternative indicators of redistribution -social transfers and social spending- over the time-period 1880-1933 and using two alternative proxies for inequality -the percentage of non-family farms and the top income shares-, this paper shows that, contrary to what many studies on the origins of the welfare state appear to implicitly suggest, inequality did not favour the development of social policy even in its early stages. Since social policy developed more easily in countries that were previously more egalitarian, it seems that unequal societies were in a sort of inequality trap, where inequality itself was an obstacle to redistribution.

Responses to a crisis: FASA-Renault in Spain during the 1970s

Responses to a crisis: FASA-Renault in Spain during the 1970s Fernández de Sevilla, Tomàs [cat] Aquest treball analitza la trajectòria de l’empresa FASA-Renault durant la dècada dels setanta del segle XX. Aquest període compren els primers anys de la crisis experimentada per l’economia i la industria espanyola entre 1974 y 1985. A nivell extern, l’economia espanyola es va veure afectada per dos xocs en el preu del petroli. A nivell intern, la industria de l’automòbil es va veure afectat per un decret governamental: es tractava de l’anomenat decret “Ford”, aprovat l’any 1972, el qual facilitava l’establiment de Ford a Espanya. Aquest decret va tenir greus conseqüències per a SEAT, el principal productor espanyol. Entre 1972 y 1980 la producció de SEAT es va reduir en una tercera part i la seva situació financera va esdevenir insostenible. Per contra, en aquest període FASA-Renault va esdevenir el principal productor ubicat a Espanya (la seva producció es va multiplicar per 3,5 durant els anys setanta) i en líder de ventes en el mercat espanyol (la seva penetració es va incrementar del 23 al 36%). El principal objectiu del treball es analitzar els factor que expliquen l’èxit de FASARenault durant els anys setanta.; [eng] This paper analyses the trajectory of the Spanish automobile firm FASA-Renault during the 1970s. This period comprises the early years of the crisis experienced by the Spanish economy and industry between 1974 and 1985. At the external level, the Spanish economy was affected by two oil shocks. At an internal level, the automobile industry was affected by a decree passed by the government: the so-called “Ford” decree of 1972, which allowed the establishment of the American company in Spain and had serious consequences for SEAT, the main Spanish producer. The production of SEAT suffered a one third reduction between 1972 and 1980 and, in addition, the financial situation of the firm was unsustainable. Conversely, during this stage FASARenault became the main Spanish production (its outpout was multiplied by 3,5 during the 1970s) and sales leader in Spain (its sales as percentage of total Spanish market sales increased from 23 to 36%). The main aim of this paper is to analyse the trajectory of success of FASA-Renault in Spain durig the 1970s.

Extending the Kuznets Curve

Extending the Kuznets Curve Guilera Rafecas, Jordi [cat] Les darreres dècades s’han caracteritzat per un intens augment de les desigualtats salarials a nivell mundial. Aquest article allarga la hipòtesi clàssica de la Corba de Kuznets per cobrir les economies post-industrials i tractar d’explicar aquest fenomen. Segons la hipòtesi de la Corba de Kuznets Allargada, les desigualtats salarials podrien evolucionar segons una corba en forma d’N. La U-inverida d’aquesta corba seria deguda al procés de canvi estructural que acompanya a un procés de industrialització. I l’extrem dret de la mateixa, associada al creixement explosiu de la formació de capital humà en les economies modernes i post-industrials. En aquest sentit, els principals candidats per explicar el recent augment de les desigualtats: el canvi tècnic esbiaixat a favor del treball qualificat, la globalització (comerç i migracions) i els factors institucionals, estarien ja incorporats en l’evolució de la composició de la força de treball en termes de qualificacions. La limitada evidència empírica sobre aquest tema, tendeix a donar suport a la Corba de Kuznets Allargada.; [eng] Recent decades have been characterized by a steep increase in wage inequality globally. In order to explain this phenomenon, this paper extends the classic Kuznets Curve to include post-industrial economies. According to this Extended Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, wage inequality may follow an N-curve. If the inverted U-shape of the EKC is attributable to the structural changes associated with industrialization, its right-hand side reflects the boom in human capital formation registered in modern and post-industrial economies. Thus, the main candidates to explain the recent upsurge in wage inequality, namely skill-biased technical change, globalisation and institutional factors, may be embodied in the evolution of the skill composition of the labour force. The available empirical evidence, albeit limited, tends to support the EKC hypothesis.

From trade to industry. The wine production sector in the Penedès Denomination of Origin, 1940-2000

From trade to industry. The wine production sector in the Penedès Denomination of Origin, 1940-2000 Soler, Raimon [cat] Aquest treball té com a objectiu mostrar el grau en què el sector de la producció de vi a la Denominació d'Origen Penedès ha respost als reptes que s’han plantejat tant en termes de l'oferta (de consolidació i sorgiment dels països productors fora de l'esfera europea tradicional) i de la demanda (caiguda de la el consum de vi i els nous hàbits de consum) durant la segona meitat del segle XX. El document analitza l'evolució del sector a la regió des del començament de la dècada de 1940 fins a la fi del segle. Amb la fi de la Guerra Civil de 1936-1939 el sector va haver d'afrontar una caiguda de la producció, la qual va continuar concentrant-se en la comercialització de vins tradicionals. Aquesta situació va canviar quan, a finals de la dècada de 1960, la demanda es va girar cada vegada més als vins de major qualitat embotellats. Des del punt de vista legislatiu, la resposta es va centrar en la innovació tecnològica i la reestructuració de l'empresa. Aquest període va ser testimoni de la introducció de nous equips i processos, com ara l’acer inoxidable i tancs de fermentació a temperatura controlada, amb els vins embotellats expulsant el vi a granel i la transformació dels grans magatzemistes en cellers i caves. A més, una de les principals característiques del període 1970-1985 va ser la formació dels grans conglomerats empresarials dels vins i del cava. L’entrada d'Espanya a la Unió Europea el 1986 va impulsar una acceleració d'aquest procés de transformació, deixant el sector format principalment per empreses que produeixen vins i caves, que han introduït els vins negres i varietals en la seva oferta de productes, que posseeixen moltes hectàrees de vinyes i en molts casos, que han mostrat una clara intenció de penetrar en el mercat internacional.; [eng] The paper aims to show the extent to which the wine production sector in the Penedès “Denominació d’Origen” responded to the challenges posed both in terms of supply (consolidation and emergence of producing countries outside the traditional European sphere) and demand (fall in wine consumption and new consumer habits). It looks at the evolution of the sector in the region from the beginning of the 1940s up to present day. With the end of the 1936-1939 Civil War the sector had to deal with a fall-off in production, though it continued to take shape around the traditional wine trade. This situation changed when, at the end of the 1960s, demand increasingly turned towards higher quality bottled wines. From the legislative standpoint, the response centred on technological innovation and company restructuring. This period saw the introduction of new equipment and processes, such as stainless steel tanks and controlled- temperature fermentation, with bottled wines pushing out bulk wine and the large warehouses giving way to wineries and cellars. In addition, one of the main features of the 1970-1985 period was the formation of the big wine and cava business conglomerates. Spain’s entry into the European Union in 1986 accelerated this transformation process, leaving the sector made up of companies that produced both wines and cavas, introduced red and varietal wines into the range of products they offered, owned many hectares of vines and in many cases showed a clear intention to enter the international market.

Reconstruction of the Regional GDP of Portugal, 1890 – 1980

Reconstruction of the Regional GDP of Portugal, 1890 – 1980 Badia-Miró, Marc; Guilera Rafecas, Jordi; Lains, Pedro [cat] Aquest article metodològic ofereix estimacions del PIB per càpita regional de les regions portugueses, entre 1890 i 1980. Aquestes estimacions s’han obtingut seguint la metodologia proposada per (Geary and Stark, 2002) per a la industria, i considerant estimacions de producció directa per la resta de sectors.; [eng] This methodological study provides estimates of Portuguese regional GDP per capita between 1890 and 1980. These estimates were obtained either by following the Geary and Stark (2002) method for industry or directly from regional production data or proxies thereof where available.

Intraregional trade in South America, 1913-50. Economic linkages before institutional agreements

Intraregional trade in South America, 1913-50. Economic linkages before institutional agreements Peres Cajías, José; Badia-Miró, Marc; Carreras Marín, Anna Dejando de lado NAFTA, la integración comercial en América Latina sigue siendo muy moderada hoy en día, representando alrededor del 20% del comercio total. Lo sorprendente es que estos valores eran más altos en 1945. Esto constituye un hecho paradoxal: la integración comercial alcanzó su récord antes de la firma de acuerdos de integración comercial. En el presente trabajo se estudia el comercio intrarregional a lo largo del período de entreguerras (1913-1950) a través del análisis de cinco casos: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile y Peru. El análisis de la integración comercial en este período representa una novedad en la literatura, ya que los trabajos sobre América Latina, específicos de comercio intraregional, se centran en el período a partir de la década de 1960. El documento destaca dos conclusiones principales: a) con la excepción de los períodos de las guerras mundiales, el comercio intraregional ha sido muy modesto desde 1913 hasta la actualidad, b) en general, el comercio intrarregional repitió la especialización del comercio mundial: una alta concentración en productos de bajo valor añadido.; With the exception of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), trade integration is still modest in Latin America, at around 20% of total trade. Surprisingly, these levels were higher in 1945, when the figure for imports stood at 25.6%. Paradoxically, this result shows that trade integration reached its peak before trade integration agreements were signed. To understand the reasons for this, we examine intraregional trade throughout the interwar period (1913-1950). We analyze five national cases: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru. As far as we know, this is the first paper in the literature on intraregional trade during the interwar period. There are other papers on intraregional trade in Latin America, but they focus on the period after the 1960s. The analysis of intraregional trade in the interwar period is also useful to the Latin American industrialization debate. Given the disruption in world trade flows and the existence of some industrial capacity, the paper looks at any possible increase in intra-industry trade. There are two main conclusions: a) with the exception of the World War periods, intraregional trade has been low since 1913; b) in general, intraregional trade reflects the overall trade specialization: there is a high concentration of low value added products.

Economic ideas and tax policy: The introduction of progressivity in tax systems in Western Europe. The cases of France and Spain

Economic ideas and tax policy: The introduction of progressivity in tax systems in Western Europe. The cases of France and Spain San Julián Arrupe, F. Javier In the last decade of the 19th century, the United Kingdom, France and Spain establishedprogressive rates in their succession taxes. This paper compares the legislative processes thatFrance and Spain countries followed in this matter. In both cases politicians’ arguments for andagainst progressive taxation were similar, and backed by well-known economic ideas andauthors. The process in France was leaded by a majority of MPs believing that progressivetaxes aided in the achievement of real justice in taxpaying. In Spain, there was not thismajority, but the reform passed due to other circumstances. This would be one step in theapplication of new insights on tax fairness; however, proportionality as the right technique oftaxation and government refrain from modifying distribution were still predominant.

Local perception and use of the multifunctionality of water tanks in two villages of Tamil Nadu, South India

Local perception and use of the multifunctionality of water tanks in two villages of Tamil Nadu, South India Galán, Elena; Reyes-García, Victoria; Aubriot, Olivia; Ariza, Pere; Serrano, Tarik; Martínez Alier, Joan Using data from free listings and a survey in two villages of Tamil Nadu, India, we discuss local perceptions and uses of water tanks, a traditional irrigation infrastructure. We hypothesize that both farmers and nonfarmers perceive and use water tanks for purposes other than irrigation. We found that informants recognized the importance of water tanks for irrigation, but also acknowledged other socioeconomic uses and ecological functions. Marginal sectors (i.e., Scheduled Castes) use tank resources in more diverse ways than other sectors of the population. Findings are relevant for development. International organizations working on the revival of water tanks aim to transfer water management to farmers for the purpose of irrigation. By recognizing that tanks benefit people other than farmers and in ways other than providing irrigation water, organizations working on tank rejuvenation could achieve a more equitable management of tank resources.

Los negocios ultramarinos de una burguesía cosmopolita. Los catalanes en las primeras fases de la globalización, 1750-1914

Los negocios ultramarinos de una burguesía cosmopolita. Los catalanes en las primeras fases de la globalización, 1750-1914 Yáñez, César Este artículo trata de los emprendimientos que los catalanes hicieron en el espacio colonial español ultramarino, centrándose en el área del Caribe y proyectándose desde allí a otras regiones de América. Los catalanes protagonizaron las primeras etapas de la «globalización» de la economía. Aprovecharon los primeros procesos de especialización de las etapas finales del Antiguo Régimen para proyectarse en sus negocios hacia la economía internacional a través del comercio, los servicios navieros y la negociación de instrumentos financieros.

Water tanks as ecosystems. Local ecosystemic perception for integral management of water tanks in Tamil Nadu, South India

Water tanks as ecosystems. Local ecosystemic perception for integral management of water tanks in Tamil Nadu, South India Ariza, Pere; Galán, Elena; Serrano, Tarik; Reyes-García, Victoria Water tanks offer from many centuries ago solutions in South India for several problems related with water scarcity. They are a traditional water harvesting system wide spread in this territory, allowing a potential decentralized and participatory management of the local population on their own resources. Although water tanks¿ main function is irrigation, they have many other uses, functions and natural resources associated, involving stakeholders in the villages apart from those farmers making use of the irrigation. Water tanks provide a variety of landscapes and biodiversity that creates a valuable heterogeneous territory. The complexity of such an ecosystem should be managed with an integral perspective, considering all the elements involved and their relations, and understanding that water tanks are not just water deposits. This multidisciplinary study tries to demonstrate the idea of water tanks as ecosystems, describing and analyzing deeply and in an unprecedentedly way the functions, uses, natural resources and stakeholders. The research also focuses in the assessment of the ecosystemic perception of the local population of some villages in Tamil Nadu, employing diverse anthropological methodology.

Atraso económico y resistencia a la innovación: el caso del gas natural en España

Atraso económico y resistencia a la innovación: el caso del gas natural en España Sudrià, Carles, 1953- El desarrollo desigual de las economias en el pasado constituye un factor determinante de la distinta capacidad de los paises para aprovechar las mejoras tecnológicas. En algunos casos, 10s menos, el atraso económico puede jugar un papel positivo, al reducir las resistencias que toda innovación genera. En los más, sin embargo, la debilidad del desarrollo anterior constituye un lastre dificil de superar. Suele destacarse, en este sentido, que en las sociedades de menor nivel de desarrollo las disponibilidades de capital para nuevas inversiones acostumbran a ser escasas, y que la demanda, estimulo indispensable, está limitada por los bajos niveles de renta. Pero se olvida a menudo que el resultado de un desarrollo económico lento es siempre una infraestructura muy limitada, que puede significar una dificultad considerable en el momento de plantear una mejora de los procesos de producción.

El paper de les exportacions vitícoles en la configuració de les relacions exteriors de l'economia catalana, 1672-1869

El paper de les exportacions vitícoles en la configuració de les relacions exteriors de l'economia catalana, 1672-1869 Valls Junyent, Francesc, 1966-

Capitalistes i fabricants. El finançament de la industrialització catalana (1815-1866)(Conferència inauguaral del curs 1993-1994)

Capitalistes i fabricants. El finançament de la industrialització catalana (1815-1866)(Conferència inauguaral del curs 1993-1994) Sudrià, Carles, 1953-

Catalunya i el mercat interior espanyol al segle XVIII

Catalunya i el mercat interior espanyol al segle XVIII Muset i Pons, Assumpta, 1957-

"Catalunya dins l'Espanya Moderna" De Pierre Vilar trenta anys derprés: els segles XVI i XVII.

"Catalunya dins l'Espanya Moderna" De Pierre Vilar trenta anys derprés: els segles XVI i XVII. Duran i Pujol, Montserrat

Condicionants religiosos, polítics i econòmics dels països musulmans contemporanis

Condicionants religiosos, polítics i econòmics dels països musulmans contemporanis Soto i Company, Ricard, 1954-