This article analyzes the extent to which fiscal policy has contributed to the industrialization of Spain over the last two centuries. Spanish governments have traditionally placed excessive emphasis on policies of economic regulation but at the same time, they have failed to provide a suitable level of merit and public goods. Recurrent budget deficits were always financed by inflationary means, which did nothing to promote economic growth. In clear contrast with public expenditures, the system of taxation which prevailed until 1978, meant that there was not much of a tax burden. This allowed for a level of savings, and potential investment, which was conducive to industrialization.

The object of this paper is to assess and analyze the economic policies of the Spanish Government between 1760–1790. After reviewing the major criticisms of die role of die State, three basic areas are considered. First, a survey of die principal measures introduced and their aims; second, die process of policy making and, three, die consequences of economic policy on growth. We suggest mat perhaps some of the traditional interpretations of the role of die State in this period need to be reexamined.

The article is divided into three sections. In the first I examine long term changes in final agricultural output between 1891 and 1936, which indicates that only from 1909/13 did land and labour productivity start to increase. In die second section I present figures for regional productivity in 1929/33, and suggest reasons why some of the major local differences occurred. Finally, I show changes in regional productivity between 1909/13 and 1929/33, the period identified as die one with greatest productivity growth. The article also includes appendices which explain the methods used, and provides Tables showing the results by province.

The policy of strict regulation followed by the state, accounts for the unsuccessful performance of the Spanish economy after the 1936–39 Civil War. Despite the emphasis on industrial growth of the new political regime, few manufacturing sectors attained a successful performance. This paper shows the effects of the Spanish autarchic policy on the shoe-making industry, a representative branch of consumer goods industries. Demand, production, technology and entrepreneurial attitudes are analyzed in connection with the intervention of the state.

He recibido el Premio Rey Juan Carlos de Economía con alegría, con agradecimiento, y con mucha humildad. La alegría y el agradecimiento van mezclados, por la magnitud del galardón, que lleva el nombre del Rey de España, por su cuantía, que se debe a la generosidad de don José Celma Prieto, y por el fundado y general prestigio de mis antecesores. La humildad se debe a la conciencia de las limitaciones de mi persona y de mi obra, que me parecen desmerecer ante los motivos de alegría que acabo de mencionar. Lo único que me consuela en mi confusión ante la posibilidad de recibir un galardón desproporcionado a mis méritos es la reconocida competencia de los miembros del comité que lo ha concedido. «Quizá —me digo en mis momentos de optimismo—, si no se han equivocado, como es evidente, en las ocasiones anteriores, es posible que algún fundamento haya tenido la presente decisión.»

The author proposes a method of comparing different levels of factor market integration in Spain. This method consists of standarizing four indicators about labor market (L), land market (T1 y T2) and capital market (K) to build an composit indicator. This permits us to make some generalizations concerning the level of market integration in northern Spain.

Big sheep owners played a key role in nomadic sheeprearing in the Spanish region around Soria during the xvth. and xvith. centuries. By using the volume of wool sales, the author compares the size of their flocks with those of other middle and small owners in the region and analyzes the owners' sociopolitical profile, in order to qualify traditional hypotheses about the social basis of the «Mesta» and its evolution during the xvith. century. Lastly, some aspects of the management of sheeprearing enterprises are examined, and its factors identified. In particular, the analyses focuses on those aspects of sheeprearing that made big enterprises more profitable than small ones.

This article considers the importance of sugar in the Cuban economy in the first twelve years after the Revolution. Two major emphases in policy can be identified. From 1959 the revolutionary leaders attempted to diversify away from sugar, but with only limited success. By 1970 the failure of this policy was evident and a second approach, which placed sugar in the forefront of economy policy, was introduced.

This paper analizes die determinants of die price life cycle of a slave, dealing particularly with the impact of human capital, both with respect to skills and health. The paper details die source of the sample —including more than two thousand Spanish American slaves of die 18th century— and discusses its reliability, moving on to a descriptive analysis in the geographic and historical context. Later on it looks at die factors influencing price in several types of economic activity.

From a little known but very useful source, the «excusado», I have determined the production volume and the surplus obtained from a wide sample of large farms in the Spanish region of Galicia during xviiith century. The main conclusion is that, in contrast to other regions in northern Spain, no group of large farmers with a marketable surplus was formed, and most peasant farmers lived below subsistance levels. I argue that this was a major factor in hindering the modernization of Galician agriculture during the xixth century.

Through an examination of a source which has been little used to date, namely mortgages in the archives of the Banco Hipotecario de España, I have tried to measure changes in land prices. Both short and long term fluctuations are considered, and these show a close relationship to other economic variables. Finally, by looking at the experience of different agricultural commodities, we are able both to check, and explain, the changes in land prices.

A vigorous Spanish wool manufacturing industry during die Ancient Regime coexisted with an active export trade of raw wool from Castile. While foreign producers exhibited a clear comparative advantage on high quality fabrics, specialization in medium and low quality goods allowed Castilian wool textile producers to successfully compete against European imports (many of diem made with Castilian wool) up to the XlXth century.

The institutional changes which emerged from the liberal revolution of Western Europe were beneficial for economic growth. Equality before die law, the simplification of the judiciary, the defining of clearer property rights, and the opening of the market all contributed to a rapid approximation of the expected improvements in private returns with die increase in social returns. This article examines the institutional changes that took place in nineteenth century Spain, and concludes that deficiencies in the carrying out of the reforms produced smaller gains for economic growth than might have been expected.

During the 1861–1930 period, Argentina was under a virtual gold-exchange standard regime in die 1867–1876; 1883–1884 and, 1900–1913 years. In die remaining periods, a managed paper standard was in place, always with die aim to restore convertibility.

I show that currency substitution was already an economic phenomenon in die Argentine economy. If currency substitution prevailed, dien die notion that Argentina, by abandoning die Gold-Standard rule, could manage an independent monetary and banking policy to insulate die level of economic activity from shocks arising from die rest of die world should be qualified if not dismissed. In die medium run domestic attempts to inflate (or deflate) die economy were mainly reflected in changes in die foreign exchange rates and/or prices.

La economía española a lo largo del siglo xix, en su proceso de transformación hacia una configuración de tipo capitalista, tuvo entre sus notas definitorias la superposición o coexistencia de formas antiguas y modernas: lo que el profesor Sánchez-Albornoz designó como una economía dual. Esta dualidad se manifestó también en las modalidades jurídicas de asociación mercantil, en las que predominaban las formas de tipo antiguo —las sociedades colectivas y comanditarias— mientras se abrían paso tardía y lentamente, con no pocos titubeos e incluso retrocesos, las formas más modernas, las sociedades de responsabilidad limitada, las sociedades anónimas. El objeto de estas notas es analizar las causas que pudieron actuar como lógica económica para mantener este predominio, y al mismo tiempo evaluar los efectos que de ello se derivaron, habida cuenta de la influencia que las formas de asociación empresarial tienen sobre los procesos de crecimiento económico.

Durante los días 16 al 19 de mayo de 1993 tuvo lugar en San Miniato (Toscana, Italia) la preconferencia de la sesión B del XI Congreso Internacional de Historia Económica bajo el título de European networks: New Approaches to the Development of a Transnational Transport and Communications System (xixth and xxth Centuries). Como es conocido, las denominadas reuniones B de los Congresos de la Asociación Internacional de Historia Económica tienen como objetivo central el fomento de la coordinación investigadora de amplias áreas en las que los trabajos realizados o en marcha son relativamente numerosos, abarcando además una amplia nómina de investigadores de varios países. Este ha sido, fundamentalmente, el interés de los organizadores de la sesión: los profesores A. Carreras, A. Giuntini y la profesora M. Merger.