Crescimento economico e convergencia Questoes teoricas, metodos empiricos e uma abordagem ao caso portugues

The main purpose of this work is to make a contribution to the analysis of the process of economic growth and converge of the Portuguese economy in the post-second world war period, measuring its speed of catching up to the countries near the technological frontier (USA,Japan, EU average), and comparing its performance with those of the countries in a similar stage of economic development (the Cohesion Group of the EU and the East Asian NICs). In its First Part several theories are discussed - the catching up hypothesis, neoclassical growth theory, endogenous growth theory, the post-keynesian approach, and "evolutionary" economics - to achieve an eclectic view of the convergence dynamics useful to the analysis of the Portuguese case. In its Second Part the main empirical methods of measuring convergence - both econometric (cross-section), time series, Kalman filter tests) and non econometric (growth accounting) - are discussed and used to examine the Portuguese case in several contexts (different samples of countries and different time horizons). In its Conclusion, a brief reflection is made about an economic policy focused on he strengthening of the Portuguese economy growth and convergence processAvailable from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Servico de Informacao e Documentacao, Av. D. Carlos I, 126, 1200 Lisboa / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga