Foreign direct investment: catalyst of economic growth?

This dissertation is an inquiry focused on the causal relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth in both developed and developing countries. Chapter 1 surveys the theoretical foundations and seminal empirical works, and motivates the remainder of the dissertation. This chapter shows that theory mainly points towards a positive FDI to economic growth link, but the empirical findings are highly heterogeneous. Chapter 1 also highlights recent trends in FDI in order for the reader to see FDI's increasing role in the global economy.