Learning by Doing and the Introduction of New Goods

Abstract

A dynamic general equilibrium model is developed in which goods are valued according to the characteristics they contain; the set of goods produced in any period is endogenously determined; and learning by doing is the force behind sustained growth. It is shown that the set of produced goods changes in a systematic way over time, with goods of higher quality entering each period and those of lower quality dropping out. The model is then used to study the effect of introducing a "traditional" sector in which there is no learning. Copyright 1988 by University of Chicago Press.