5.2.1. Deeper Capital Markets
The extensive literature, as reviewed by Dolar and Meh (2002), provides strong evidence that financial structure is not important for explaining differential growth rates across countries. Countries do not grow faster, and firms’access to finance is not systematically easier in either market- or intermediary-based systems. For example, Germany and Japan-major intermediary-based systems-and the United States and United Kingdom-the foremost market-based systems-have had different f inancial systems, but experienced similar growth rates over time. What matters for growth is the overall level and quality of financial services and how markets and intermediaries complement one another. Both intermediaries and markets have a comparative advantage at dealing with different types of information. The primary emphasis should thus be on the overall level and quality of financial services rather than the channels through which those services are provided.