The relationship between public expenditures and economic growth: Panel causality analysis on selected upper midlle income countries

In this study, the effect of public expenditures on economic growth in selected 15 upper-middle income countries between 2000-2015 was analyzed by panel data method. As the cross-sectional dependence was determined in the periods and countries subject to analysis, second generation tests were applied. According to the causality test based on the panel vector error correction model, it is concluded that there is no causality between the variables in the short term and that there is causality from the variables of health and defense expenditures to economic growth as a whole in the long term. This result can be interpreted as the validity of Keynes policies in periods and countries subject to analysis.