Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Filippetti, Andrea
Author-Email: andrea.filippetti@cnr.it
Author-Workplace-Name: Italian National Research Council (CNR) and Birkbeck College,
	 University of London 
Author-Name: Vezzani, Antonio
Author-Email: antonio.vezzani@uniroma3.it
Author-Workplace-Name: University Roma Tre, Department of Economics
Title: The political economy of public research, or why some governments commit to
	 research more than others
Abstract: The broad consensus about the benefits of public research is at odds
	 with the fact that investment is in general declining but with different
	 patterns across countries. This triggers our research question: why do
	 some governments invest in public research more than others? By relying
	 on political economy literature, we frame investment in public research
	 as a political choice depending on the political institutions of
	 countries. Based on an empirical analysis on 41 countries we find a
	 robust relationship between public-funded research and political
	 institutions. Countries with parliamentary forms of government,
	 proportional electoral rules and bicameralism devote larger shares of
	 GDP and of public expenditure to research. We also find a great role of
	 encompassing civic society organizations in encouraging public research.
	 Political economy offers a promising perspective to delve into the
	 patterns of public research. As for policy implications,
	 majoritarian-like reforms might discourage long-term policies and harm
	 the long-term potential for economic growth.   
Classification-JEL: O31, O33, O38, P16, P48
Keywords: public research, political economy, R&D, innovation policy
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20200618
Number: 2020-029
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2020/wp2020-029.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2020029