Term Limits of Public Officials, Environmental Regulations, and Sustainable Development: An Analysis Based on Empirical Spatial Econometrics

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of public officials’ term limits and environmental regulations on sustainable development using provincial panel data in China for the period 1986–2013. Applying empirical spatial econometrics, the spatial dependence of green productivity growth, calculated by the global Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index, across provinces has been supported. There appears to be a U relationship between the term limits of provincial governors and the green productivity growth. The Porter hypothesis does not exist in this sample. Finally, the study provides some policy implications.

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