CONFORMISM AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE

Abstract

Using a simple, multisector model of endogenous growth, we show that commodity‐specific consumption externalities can be a source of structural change. When the degrees of consumption externalities are different between goods, each sector grows at a different rate. However, the aggregate economy exhibits balanced growth in that capital stock and expenditure grow at the same constant rate. A three‐sector version of our model may reconcile Kaldor's stylized facts with empirically plausible profiles of industrial structure transformation.