Information and Communication Technology and Economic Growth (A Study Based on International Experience and Chinese Practice)

Author: Qin Hai et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and economic growth has been one of the long-standing debates in the international community and also a frontier topic in contemporary economic research. Since Nobel laureate Robert Solow proposed the famous Solow paradox in 1987, a large number of economists studying macroeconomics, economic growth, economic history, and technological change have joined this debate. The first part of this book provides a comprehensive review of the 20-year debate since the 1980s and the empirical research literature. From this, we can see that Western economists' views on the relationship between ICT and economic growth have evolved from skepticism, ambiguity, precise measurement to affirmation. The first part systematically introduces the origin and background of the debate, the focus of the debate at different stages, the impact mechanisms of ICT on economic growth, empirical studies on the Solow paradox and the various interpretations surrounding these studies, the theoretical models and data processing methods used in empirical research, economists' analysis and understanding of general-purpose technologies, and finally, an outlook on future research priorities and directions in this field. The second part of this book primarily focuses on an empirical analysis of the relationship between ICT and China's economic growth. Based on a standardized definition of the ICT industry, it conducts quantitative measurement and econometric research on the output of China's ICT industry and its impact on economic growth, inflation, employment, and other factors. The results show that ICT has played a crucial role in China's sustained high-speed economic growth since the 1980s.
The relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and economic growth has been one of the long-standing debates in the international community and also a frontier topic in contemporary economic research. Since Nobel laureate Robert Solow proposed the famous Solow paradox in 1987, a large number of economists studying macroeconomics, economic growth, economic history, and technological change have joined this debate. The first part of this book provides a comprehensive review of the 20-year debate since the 1980s and the empirical research literature. From this, we can see that Western economists' views on the relationship between ICT and economic growth have evolved from skepticism, ambiguity, precise measurement to affirmation. The first part systematically introduces the origin and background of the debate, the focus of the debate at different stages, the impact mechanisms of ICT on economic growth, empirical studies on the Solow paradox and the various interpretations surrounding these studies, the theoretical models and data processing methods used in empirical research, economists' analysis and understanding of general-purpose technologies, and finally, an outlook on future research priorities and directions in this field. The second part of this book primarily focuses on an empirical analysis of the relationship between ICT and China's economic growth. Based on a standardized definition of the ICT industry, it conducts quantitative measurement and econometric research on the output of China's ICT industry and its impact on economic growth, inflation, employment, and other factors. The results show that ICT has played a crucial role in China's sustained high-speed economic growth since the 1980s.