Essays in public and development economics

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URL:	https://madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/43678
URN:	urn:nbn:de:bsz:180-madoc-436783
Document Type:	Doctoral dissertation
Year of publication:	2017
Place of publication:	Mannheim
University:	Universität Mannheim
Evaluator:	Janeba, Eckhard
Date of oral examination:	16 January 2017
Publication language:	English
Institution:	School of Law and Economics > VWL, insbes. Finanzwissenschaft u. Wirtschaftspolitik (Janeba)
Subject:	330 Economics
Classification:	JEL: H26, H32, O17, O23, O33,
Subject headings (SWD):	Energie- und Umweltpreis , Indirekte Steuer , Registrierung
Keywords (English):	VAT , India , Informality , Energy-efficiency
Abstract:	This thesis addresses two issues at the crossroads of Public and Development Economics: the impact of policies on the informal sector on the one hand and on the level of negative externalities caused to the environment by economic activities on the other. All empirical analyses use Indian data and exploit the Indian economic and political context to test the theoretical predictions developed in the different chapters of this dissertation. India has become the focus of much attention in the last decade. First, it is the largest democracy in the world but it is also home to the largest absolute number of poor in 2012. Second, the environmental consequences of economic development in this country have already triggered migrations, worsened poverty and exacerbated ethnic conflicts. Third, India's ability to face the challenges in its path towards sustainable development will impact the global economy: the size of its consumer market and the growing role taken by Indian firms in the international value chain simultaneously represent an opportunity and a threat to existing players. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of how Indian fiscal policies impacted the inclusion of the most disadvantaged into the formal economy and influenced the environmental footprint of economic agents. However, the policy implications of the results presented here are not limited to India or to developing countries, but are also pertinent for advanced economies facing growing social inequalities, fiscal constraints, and greater awareness of environmental problems.