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Understanding the different aspects of the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth can outstandingly help to adopt appropriate policies in energy sector. Structural breaks and regime shifts may affect the above relationship. Therefore, it is important to consider structural breaks and regime shifts in empirical analysis. In this paper, the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is analyzed in the presence of structural breaks. The empirical models are specified and estimated using Iran's time series data during 1967- 2005 period. To this end, unit root tests proposed by Zivot and Andrews (1992) are first used to identify structural breaks found endogenously and then the Gregory-Hansen cointegration test, which allows strctural breaks in time series, is employed to estimate the long-run relationship between energy consumption and economic growth. The results show that in the long run, there is a positive and significant relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Iran.

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The convergence process and the advantages involved for less developed and developing countries, especially those located in the MENA region is of a great importance in economic studies. Through expanding regional co-operations and playing a wider role in the economies of the member states, it can prepare a suitable ground for growing regional markets and positive international economic reactions and finally can result into total development of the region. This article, using time series model is aiming at testing the convergence hypothesis in MENA region (15 countries) during 1980-2008. For analyzing time series model, we used Augmented Dicky Fuller test, Zivot & Andrews (with the endogenous time break) unit root test, Im, Pesaran & Shin and also Levin, Lin & Chu unit root panel data tests. The results of time series model with ADF and ZA tests show that there are two groups of convergence among the selected MENA countries. The first one is those countries which are converging from the low per capita income up to the average per capita income of the selected countries. The second one is the countries which are converging from the high per capita income down to the average of the region. The rest have diverged from the average per capita income during the period. According to Im, Pesaran & Shin and also Levin, Lin & Chu unit root tests, the convergence hypothesis of per capita income to average, is accepted for the whole sample. Altogether, the selected countries are minimizing the gap between their per capita income and the average per capita income of the region.

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There have been few studies working on effects of financial repression policies on Iran’s economic growth. Considering the huge share of agricultural sector, we have been trying to fill this gap by the help of time series data from 1962 to 2007 on agricultural GDP, unproductive government expenditure, human capital, industrial price index, political instability, and financial repression measures. Results show that controlling the bank reserve requirement ratio as a proxy for financial repression has negative effect on economic growth of agricultural sector. This indicates that reducing controls on this parameter will help government to achieve higher rate of growth.