Development, Growth, and Environmental : upso

The Wealth and Poverty of Regions

Mario Polese — 2013-02-21

Author:: Mario Polese
ISBN:: 9780226673158
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226673172.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

As the world becomes more interconnected through travel and electronic communication, many believe that physical places will become less important. But as this book argues geography will matter more than ever before in a world where distance is allegedly dead. This book surveys the globe, from London and Cape Town to New York and Beijing, contending that regions rise—or fall—due to their location, not only within nations but also on the world map. The book reveals how concentrations of industries and populations in specific locales often result in minor advantages that accumulate over time, resulting in reduced prices, improved transportation networks, increased diversity, and not least of all, “buzz”—the excitement and vitality that attracts ambitious people. The book maps out how a heady mix of size, infrastructure, proximity, and cost will determine which urban centers become the thriving metropolises of the future, and which become the deserted cities of the past.

The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity Revisited

Josh Lerner and Scott Stern — 2013-02-21

Author:: JoshLernerScottStern
ISBN:: 9780226473031
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226473062.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

While the importance of innovation to economic development is widely understood, the conditions conducive to it remain the focus of much attention. This volume offers theoretical and empirical contributions to questions relating to the economics of innovation and technological change while revisiting the findings of a classic book. Central to the development of new technologies are institutional environments, and among the topics discussed here are the roles played by universities and other nonprofit research institutions, and the ways in which the allocation of funds between the public and private sectors affects innovation. Other chapters examine the practice of open research and how the diffusion of information technology influences the economics of knowledge accumulation.

The Power of Productivity

William W. Lewis — 2013-02-21

Author:: William W. Lewis
ISBN:: 9780226476766
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226477008.001.0001
Published in print:: 2004
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

The disparity between rich and poor countries is the most serious, intractable problem facing the world today. The chronic poverty of many nations affects more than the citizens and economies of those nations; it threatens global stability as the pressures of immigration become unsustainable and rogue nations seek power and influence through extreme political and terrorist acts. To address this tenacious poverty, a vast array of international institutions has pumped billions of dollars into these nations in recent decades, yet despite this infusion of capital and attention, roughly five billion of the world's six billion people continue to live in poor countries. What isn't working? And how can we fix it? This book provides answers to these questions. The book draws on extensive microeconomic studies of thirteen nations over twelve years—conducted by the Institute itself—to counter virtually all prevailing wisdom about how best to ameliorate economic disparity. The research, which included studying everything from state-of-the-art auto makers to black-market street vendors and mom-and-pop stores, conclusively demonstrates that, contrary to popular belief, providing more capital to poor nations is not the best way to help them; nor is improving levels of education, exchange-rate flexibility, or government solvency enough. Rather, the key to improving economic conditions in poor countries, the book argues, is increasing productivity through intense, fair competition and protecting consumer rights. As the book explains, this sweeping solution affects the economies of poor nations at all levels.

Latin American Macroeconomic Reforms

Jose Gonzalez, Vittorio Corbo, Anne O. Krueger, and Aaron Tornell — 2013-02-21

Author:: JoseGonzalezVittorioCorboAnne O.KruegerAaronTornell
ISBN:: 9780226302676
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226302683.001.0001
Published in print:: 2003
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Hidden behind a number of economic crises in the mid- to late 1990s—including Argentina's headline-grabbing monetary and political upheaval—is the fact that Latin American economies have, generally speaking, improved dramatically in recent years. Their success has been due, in large part, to macroeconomic reforms, and this book brings together economists and policymakers to assess a decade of such policy shifts, highlighting both the many success stories and the areas in which further work is needed. Contributors offer both case studies of individual countries and regional overviews, covering monetary, financial, and fiscal policy. Contributors also work to identify future concerns and erect clear signposts for future reforms. For instance, now that inflation rates have been stabilized, one suggested “second stage” monetary reform would be to focus on reducing rates from high to low single digits. Financial sector reforms, it is suggested, should center on improving regulation and supervision. And, contributors argue, since fiscal stability has already been achieved in most countries, new fiscal reforms need to concentrate on institutionalizing fiscal discipline, improving the efficiency and equity of tax collection, and modifying institutional arrangements to deal with increasingly decentralized federal systems. The analysis and commentary in this volume—authored not only by academic observers but by key Latin American policymakers with decades of firsthand experience—will prove important to anyone with an interest in the future of Latin America's continuing economic development and reform.

The Intended and Unintended Effects of U.S. Agricultural and Biotechnology Policies

Joshua S. Graff Zivin and Jeffrey M. Perloff — 2013-02-21

Author:: Joshua S.Graff ZivinJeffrey M.Perloff
ISBN:: 9780226988030
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226988061.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Using economic models and empirical analysis, this volume examines a wide range of agricultural and biofuel policy issues and their effects on American agricultural and related agrarian insurance markets. Beginning with a look at the distribution of funds by insurance programs—to support farmers but often benefiting crop processors instead—the book then examines the demand for biofuel and the effects of biofuel policies on agricultural price uncertainty. Also discussed are genetically engineered crops, which are assuming an increasingly important role in arbitrating tensions between energy production, environmental protection, and the global food supply. Other chapters discuss the major effects of genetic engineering on worldwide food markets. By addressing some of the most challenging topics at the intersection of agriculture and biotechnology, this volume informs crucial debates.

Globalization and Poverty

Ann Harrison — 2013-02-21

Author:: AnnHarrison
ISBN:: 9780226317946
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226318004.001.0001
Published in print:: 2007
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Over the past two decades, the percentage of the world's population living on less than a dollar a day has been cut in half. How much of that improvement is because of—or in spite of—globalization? While anti-globalization activists mount loud critiques and the media report breathlessly on globalization's perils and promises, economists have largely remained silent, in part because of an entrenched institutional divide between those who study poverty and those who study trade and finance. This book bridges that gap, bringing together experts on both international trade and poverty to provide a detailed view of the effects of globalization on the poor in developing nations, answering such questions as: Do lower import tariffs improve the lives of the poor? Has increased financial integration led to more or less poverty? How have the poor fared during various currency crises? Does food aid hurt or help the poor? Poverty, the chapters show here, has been used as a popular and convenient catchphrase by parties on both sides of the globalization debate to further the book's various arguments. This book provides the more nuanced understanding necessary to move that debate beyond the slogans.

The Economics of Crime

Rafael Di Tella, Sebastian Edwards, and Ernesto Schargrodsky — 2013-02-21

Author:: Rafael DiTellaSebastianEdwardsErnestoSchargrodsky
ISBN:: 9780226153742
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226153766.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Latin America has one of the highest crime rates in the world, creating climates of fear and lawlessness in several countries. Despite this situation, there has been a lack of systematic effort to study crime in the region or the effectiveness of policies designed to tackle it. This book makes an important contribution to the current debate on causes and solutions by applying lessons learned from recent developments in the economics of crime. The book presents a survey of the crime problem in Latin America, which takes a very broad and appropriately reductionist approach to analyze the determinants of the high crime levels, focusing on the negative social conditions in the region, including inequality and poverty, and poor policy design, such as relatively low police presence. The chapters illustrate three channels through which crime might generate poverty, that is, by reducing investment, by introducing assets losses, and by reducing the value of assets remaining in the control of households. The book also highlights the fact that although crime rates in Latin America are extremely high and have been growing in many countries in the last two decades, there are cities within the region that have experienced a different dynamic. Part of the strategies applied in these cities seems to have been simply an investment in the capacity of the state to attack these problems, which resulted in a combination of more intense and effective repressive measures together with social support programs.

The Economics of Climate Change

Gary D. Libecap and Richard H. Steckel — 2013-02-21

Author:: Gary D.LibecapRichard H.Steckel
ISBN:: 9780226479880
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226479903.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

The book responds to proceedings of the past couple of decades, especially the efficacy of collective action in light of reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The types of adaptation to climate that are described in this volume have received less attention in the economics literature than have policies for mitigation of emissions. The chapters in this volume provide important new empirical information on and analyses of the economics of climate change. They examine responses to past climatic events and in so doing indicate the range of possible future adaptations. This knowledge is critical for understanding how society has reacted to similar occurrences in the past and for developing effective, new private and governmental policies to address them. The chapters describe research findings regarding historical climate-related events as they have been faced in the American economy; the responses of individuals, organizations, and government institutions to those climate challenges; and assessments of their successes in addressing potential disruptions and in promoting the continued economic growth and welfare. The chapters also provide new data sources for measuring and evaluating how economic agents have adjusted to and progressed even in light of formidable environmental concerns.

Bringing in the Future

William Ascher — 2013-02-21

Author:: William Ascher
ISBN:: 9780226029160
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226029184.001.0001
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Humans are plagued by shortsighted thinking, preferring to put off work on complex, deep-seated, or difficult problems in favor of quick-fix solutions to immediate needs. When short-term thinking is applied to economic development, especially in fragile nations, the results—corruption, waste, and faulty planning—are often disastrous. This book draws on the latest research from psychology, economics, institutional design, and legal theory to suggest strategies to overcome powerful obstacles to long-term planning in developing countries. Drawing on cases from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the book applies strategies such as the creation and scheduling of tangible and intangible rewards, cognitive exercises to increase the understanding of longer-term consequences, self-restraint mechanisms to protect long-term commitments and enhance credibility, and restructuring policy-making processes to permit greater influence of long-term considerations. The book features theoretically informed research findings and policy examples, and shows how the vagaries of human behavior affect international development.

Behavioral and Distributional Effects of Environmental Policy

Carlo Carraro and Gilbert E. Metcalf — 2013-02-21

Author:: CarloCarraroGilbert E.Metcalf
ISBN:: 9780226094816
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226094809.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Most people would agree that it makes sense to tax a company that pollutes in a way that directly reflects the amount of environmental and social damage it has done. Yet in practice, such taxes are fraught with difficulty and have far-reaching implications. A company facing a new tax may lay off workers, for example, exacerbating an unemployment problem. This volume focuses on such external issues and examines in detail the trade-offs involved in designing policies to deal with environmental problems. Reflecting the broad nature of the subject, the contributors include leading economists in the areas of public finance, industrial organization, and trade theory, as well as environmental economists. Integrating both theoretical and empirical methods, they examine environmental policy design as it relates to location decisions, compliance costs, administrative costs, effects on research and development, and international factor movements.

Accelerating Energy Innovation

Rebecca M. Henderson and Richard G. Newell — 2013-02-21

Author:: Rebecca M.HendersonRichard G.Newell
ISBN:: 9780226326832
Publisher:: University of Chicago Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.7208/chicago/9780226326856.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2013-02-21

Accelerating energy innovation could be an important part of an effective response to the threat of climate change. This book complements existing research on the subject with an exploration of the role that public and private policy have played in enabling—and sustaining—swift innovation in a variety of industries, from agriculture and the life sciences to information technology. Chapters highlight the factors that have determined the impact of past policies, and suggest that effectively managed federal funding, strategies to increase customer demand, and the enabling of aggressive competition from new firms are important ingredients for policies that affect innovative activity.

The Role of Elites in Economic Development

the late Alice H. Amsden, Alisa DiCaprio, and James A. Robinson — 2013-01-24

Author:: the late Alice H.AmsdenFormerly Barton L. Weller Professor of Political Economy Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAlisaDiCaprioResearch Fellow, United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economics ResearchJames A.RobinsonDavid Florence Professor of Government, Harvard University
ISBN:: 9780199659036
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199659036.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-01-24

Elites have a disproportionate impact on development outcomes. While a country's endowments constitute the deep determinates of growth, the trajectory they follow is shaped by the actions of elites. But what factors affect whether elites use their influence for individual gain or national welfare? To what extent do they see poverty as a problem? And are their actions today constrained by institutions and norms established in the past? This volume looks at case studies from South Africa to China to seek a better understanding of the dynamics behind how elites decide to engage with economic development. Approaches include economic modelling, social surveys, theoretical analysis, and programme evaluation. These different methods explore the relationship between elites and development outcomes from five angles: the participation and reaction of elites to institutional creation and change, how economic changes affect elite formation and circulation, elite perceptions of national welfare, the extent to which state capacity is part of elite self-identity, and how elites interact with non-elites.

Education and Economics

Saumen Chattopadhyay — 2013-01-24

Author:: Saumen Chattopadhyay
ISBN:: 9780198082255
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198082255.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-01-24

This book explores various conceptualizations of education in economic theory and how this has influenced policymaking in education. Despite the relative dominance of human capital theory in economics of education as a sub-discipline of economics and neo-liberalism as an overarching framework in policy discourse, the alternative perspectives to understand and appreciate the role of education in socio-economic development deserve immediate attention. The book deconstructs the interface between economic theory and education in order to unravel the various ways in which education plays a role in socio-economic development to drive home the point that straightforward application of economic theory to study education and the education market while designing education policies is fraught with many pitfalls. While attaining efficiency in resource use and competitiveness are the dominant concerns for policymakers in the emerging global knowledge economy, inclusive and socially cohesive growth also deserves prime attention from policymakers. In particular, it is argued that an absence of a well-defined production function for an academic institution not only discredits the credibility of neo-liberal reform measures, but also justifies why reliance on the market as the guiding principle and the private sector as the dominant service provider may have serious adverse implications for education and the society. After all, classification of education and knowledge as public goods or otherwise and, therefore, their contributions in the economy and society are essentially policy constructs. The book ends with a discussion of challenges facing the Indian education system and policies being mooted.

The Economics and Management of World Fisheries

Trond Bjørndal and Gordon Munro — 2013-01-24

Author:: Trond Bjørndal, Gordon Munro
ISBN:: 9780199576753
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Financial Economics
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576753.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-01-24

Over the past several decades there has been increasing interest in, and concern about, the economics of the world's capture fishery resources. Massive amounts of resource rent are being lost because of inadequate management and major rebuilding of fishery resources is called for. This book draws together the latest economic theory of the management of these resources, at both the national and the international levels, and highlights areas where further research is urgently required. The emphasis is on world capture fisheries, rather than fisheries of specific regions, and examples are drawn upon from both developed and developing countries. It combines economic theory and empirical testing with an examination and analysis of resource policy options, with particular emphasis on fisheries management polices at the international level, where some of the most difficult resource management problems are found. The authors maintain that capture fishery resources are properly viewed as a part of society's portfolio of natural capital assets. Consequently, a central theme of the book is that managing such resources should be viewed as asset management through time

The Digital Flood

James W. Cortada — 2013-01-24

Author:: James W. Cortada
ISBN:: 9780199921553
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199921553.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-01-24

No technology seems to have spread so fast around the world in such a short period of time as computers. It was a phenomenon that predated the arrival of the Internet and that began to change how businesses, governments, and whole societies functioned. The diffusion of information technologies occurred in dozens of countries all over the world with fascinating similarities and differences. In this book, historian James W. Cortada provides the first world-wide history of how computers appeared and were used in North America, all of Europe, and in most of Asia in barely a half century based on archival and secondary research and over a dozen detailed country case studies. He explores the causes of diffusion, arguing that more than the technology itself, other conditions were required for the spread of computers, such as standards of living, education, the Cold War, and globalization of the economy. He argues that these technologies hold together today’s economies. It is economic and business history, but also a guide to those who want to understand what is happening today in such nations as India, China, and other emerging economies as the Computer Revolution continues.

Development Success

Augustin K. Fosu — 2013-01-24

Author:: Augustin K.FosuDeputy Director, UNU-WIDER
ISBN:: 9780199660704
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Economic History
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199660704.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-01-24

In the development literature, some countries are cited more often than others as examples of development success. These countries are understood to have policies and institutions in place that could be transferred, at least in part, to less successful countries both within their own regions, and elsewhere in the world. As such, they may constitute ‘role models of development’. This scholarly volume contains historical accounts of a select set of successful countries in the developing world; successful by virtue of their growth and development path — albeit at times in an uneven, non-linear, and patchy manner. Each unique case describes the fundamental ‘causes’ of success: initial conditions and resources; local, regional, and international factors shaping the national state of affairs; contributions to the development process by internal and external actors and institutions. Each country has a story to tell from where useful lessons can be drawn. While other similar works have presented cases of successful development strategies, they tend to be region-specific or constitute a relatively small number of cases. This book takes a more wide-ranging perspective involving a large number of country studies, spanning world regions and development levels.

Competing in Capabilities

John Sutton — 2013-01-24

Author:: John Sutton
ISBN:: 9780199274536
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199274536.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2013-01-24

This book offers a new perspective on the economics of globalization, based on the concepts of firms' capabilities as the immediate cause of countries' wealth. It presents new ways of looking at the way China, India, and Africa have been drawn into the global economy over the past two decades. It offers new perspectives on some of the most central questions in the current debate: What effects does the rise of China have for the advanced industrial economies? Why have some industries adapted quickly and effectively to the changing global scene, while others have not? How were the ‘Transition Economies’ of Eastern Europe affected by trade liberalization? How have the economic prospects of sub-Saharan African countries changed over the past decade? This analysis contributes to the recent literature on quality and trade, which is providing a new and different approach to the analysis of globalization, and which focuses on those economic mechanisms that are central to the current wave of this centuries-old phenomenon.

The Political Economy of Federalism in India

Nirvikar Singh and Govinda Rao — 2012-10-18

Author:: Nirvikar Singh, Govinda Rao
ISBN:: 9780195686937
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195686937.001.0001
Published in print:: 2006
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

This book deals with the system, institutions, and outcomes from the interplay of political and economic forces in Indian federalism. It significantly broadens the conceptual framework for analysing Indian federalism by exploring political elements and institutions and their strategic interaction with fiscal variables. The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the political and economic theories of federalism, dimensions of federal governance, the historical background of Indian federalism, and the issues of bargaining, control, and commitment. The second section examines Centre–state economic relations and efficiency and equity implications of the constitutional arrangements and their actual working. The final part explores the various political–economic issues associated with intergovernmental reform.

Of Poverty and Plastic

Kaveri Gill — 2012-10-18

Author:: Kaveri Gill
ISBN:: 9780198060864
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198060864.001.0001
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

This book uses eclectic, triangulated methods to explore the socio-economics of waste and of the commodity chains involved in recycling. Known as ‘unorganised’ in India, this part of the informal economy is anything but that. In developing theoretical ideas about poverty, agency and choice, the politics of caste and patronage, the institutions and regulation of markets and judicial activism, this book illustrates how grounded field research contributes to practical policies of urban land-use, pollution, and livelihoods. Its study of garbage collectors, scavengers, and the plastic recycling or scrap trading self-employed entrepreneurs reveals a very complex pattern of organisation and linkages with the market economy and productive employment. The book shows that the most imperative requirement for a policy of alleviating poverty and expanding employment is understanding very clearly how the different segments of India's informal economy work, interact with each other, and link up with market forces.

Managing Water in River Basins

Dinesh Kumar — 2012-10-18

Author:: Dinesh Kumar
ISBN:: 9780198065364
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198065364.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

This volume focuses on the management of water in river basins and the strategies and challenges involved in economizing the use of water for meeting its future needs in India. It provides an in-depth analysis of existing methods of water management and highlights the gaps in the use of water in various river basins. It identifies major challenges in water management, including productivity improvement in key-use sectors, inter-sectoral allocation, and trans-boundary resource management; and proposes various alternative strategies for water management. It also examines the institutional and policy measures in India designed to ensure sustainable water use.

Encircling the Seamless

A. Damodaran — 2012-10-18

Author:: A. Damodaran
ISBN:: 9780198066750
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198066750.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

This book focuses on global commons within the larger canvas of the world’s political and economic landscape. It explores global environmental negotiations against the backdrop of complex political relations, the climate change convention in relation to the policies of the developed world, and multilateral environmental assessments and their effect on special interest groups. Finally, it weaves in the story of India’s emergent economy and its sustainable development in this context. Analysing global environmental movements, the book discusses the pattern of global negotiations to portray the plight of a post-modern world that grapples with problems of climate, land degradation, chemical transfers, and biodiversity. The central theme of the book is that plurality and diversity lie at the root of ensuring that a globalized world offers happiness to its citizens.

Eight Lectures on India's Economic Reforms

T. N. Srinivasan — 2012-10-18

Author:: T. N.SrinivasanSamuel C. Park, Jr Professor of Economics, Yale University
ISBN:: 9780195652826
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195652826.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

This volume is based on the lectures on the state of economic reforms in India delivered by the author at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in Bangalore in July 1998. Each of the lectures addresses reforms in different sectors of the economy including transportation, education, health care, infrastructure, agriculture, poverty alleviation, industrial sector, finance, and international trade. The lectures describe the reforms in a historical context to provide a better understanding of their pre-independence origins. The book attempts to explain the reasons behind the failure of various reforms including those launched during the pre-independence period and those initiated by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh in 1991. It also provides recommended reforms for different industries.

Economic Growth in India

Pulapre Balakrishnan — 2012-10-18

Author:: Pulapre Balakrishnan
ISBN:: 9780198065470
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198065470.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

The book is a comprehensive study of growth in post-Independence India. The theory is both subtle and eclectic, drawing on several strands of the relevant literature, and presented in an original narrative. It uses empirical methods to advantage and in the process of examining the several sensibly-defined historical periods, the book tests whether the conventional wisdom on these stands up to close scrutiny. If it does not, it explains why, and also why the carefully presented narrative is a more convincing explanation. The main body of the book is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 provides a critical exposition of some prominent theoretical representations of growth and a historical perspective on its drivers. The remaining three chapters provide a fresh analysis of three periods, respectively, 1950–64, 1965–91, and 1991 onwards.

Agrarian Crisis in India

D. Narasimha Reddy and Srijit Mishra — 2012-10-18

Author:: D. NarasimhaReddyInstitute for Human Development, New DelhiSrijitMishraIndira Gandhi Institute of Development and Research, Mumbai
ISBN:: 9780198069096
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198069096.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2012-10-18

This book contains chapters that deal with the agricultural crisis in India. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the macroeconomic and micro-level issues associated with the crisis, as well as the underlying historical forces. It examines the factors contributing to the crisis, including environmental degradation, the decrease in landholding size, plateauing of crop yields from the present farm technology, and withdrawal of state support. The book shows that rapid growth of India's gross domestic product has not created enough opportunities for rural labour force to make the transition from agriculture to the rapidly growing sectors of the economy. Agricultural transformation has been slow due to low growth of farm productivity, low agricultural prices, inadequate employment opportunities outside agriculture, and low demand for agricultural products due to stagnation of per capita food consumption during 1993–2005. The book presents case studies on farmer suicides and provides insights into their underlying causes, arguing that suicides are symptomatic of a deep-rooted crisis in agriculture. The book claims that agriculture in India can be revived only by addressing two dimensions of the agricultural distress, namely, agricultural development crisis and agrarian crisis. It emphasizes the need to improve public investment in agricultural infrastructure and social overheads such as quality education and health facilities in rural areas.

Understanding Reforms

Suresh Tendulkar and T.A. Bhavani — 2012-09-20

Author:: Suresh Tendulkar, T.A. Bhavani
ISBN:: 9780198085584
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198085584.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

This book analyses the background and context of the reforms since 1991, while tracing the remarkable transformation of India from a slow-growing economy to one of the fastest in the world. It critically analyses the growth strategy under Nehruvian socialism and the slow growth rate of the Indian economy and, thus, draws attention to the factors that led to reforms. It also describes how reforms were sustained in a low-income economy with large diversities and how they successfully survived the emergence of several coalition governments at the centre as well as the increasing regionalization of Indian politics. It shows how reforms unleashed India’s latent entrepreneurship through increasingly liberalized competitive markets and enabled faster and sustained economic growth, which contributed to improved living standards and reduction of abject poverty. It takes stock of specific reforms initiatives undertaken by the government and the challenges that lie ahead.

The Telecom Revolution in India

Varadharajan Sridhar — 2012-09-20

Author:: VaradharajanSridharSasken Communication Technologies, Bangalore
ISBN:: 9780198075530
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198075530.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

This book discusses the innovations in the telecom industry in India. It specifically describes the sub-segments of Indian telecom, providing insights into critical technology, market, and regulatory issues. It also demonstrates how the triad of technology, regulation, and policy can help optimize the critical factors for enabling growth of the sub-sector. In 1999, the revenue sharing regime was introduced for cellular mobile services and the New Telecom Policy 1999 was announced by the Government of India. From then on, it has been a dream run for telecom in the country, though with regulatory and policy fluctuations, and associated development of appropriate strategies by the concerned entities. There are innovations each minute in telecom and the industry evolves and morphs continuously.

State of Urban Services in India's Cities

Kala Seetharam Sridhar and A. Venugopala Reddy — 2012-09-20

Author:: Kala Seetharam Sridhar, A. Venugopala Reddy
ISBN:: 9780198065388
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198065388.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

Given the primacy of public service delivery for cities to become engines of growth, this book answers two critical questions. Does low spending explain the state of poor public service delivery? How can Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) have access to greater resources so as to enable them to improve public service delivery? Using case studies of four cities — Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Bangalore — the book examines urban services such as water supply, sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, municipal roads, and street lighting. It compares the state of these services with international norms and suggests new ways in which they can be financed and improved. More specifically, the book examines the role of land as a revenue-generating source in India's cities.

Social and Economic Impact of SEZs in India

Aradhna Aggarwal — 2012-09-20

Author:: Aradhna Aggarwal
ISBN:: 9780198077275
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077275.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

This book is a systematic analysis of the special economic zone (SEZ) programme in India. The book highlights the critical importance not just of investment in SEZs but also of investment in the wider domestic economy in which they operate. It is the result of detailed surveys of SEZs conducted at different points in time during 2004–9. It traces the history and evolution of SEZs in general and in India, and examines the justification of continuing with SEZs in India. It covers almost every aspect of the benefit and cost of SEZs and finds that they can be instrumental in economic and social transformation. However, merely setting up an SEZ is not sufficient; it requires a comprehensive strategy to develop networks between SEZs and various actors in the domestic economy with an explicit emphasis on the promotion of industrial activity outside SEZs. This would enhance backward and forward linkages of SEZs with the domestic economy and strengthen the growth processes triggered by them. There is thus a need to integrate them with the broader industrial policy. While SEZs do entail costs, these can be addressed through a long-run vision, strong commitment, a pragmatic and flexible approach, dynamic learning, and institution-building.

The Outsiders

Sugata Marjit and Saibal Kar — 2012-09-20

Author:: Sugata Marjit, Saibal Kar
ISBN:: 9780198071495
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198071495.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

The informal economy has emerged as one of the most dynamic, active, and hotly-debated domains in the entire developing world. Unfortunately, it remains one of the least treated subjects in mainstream economic theory and development economics. This book provides a detailed theoretical overview and analytical understanding of informal labour markets in the context of economic reforms. Grounded in the neo-classical general equilibrium framework, it analyses the impact of deregulatory policies on the welfare of informal workers in a segmented labour market. Using empirical data and case studies, the book discusses how informal wage responds to unemployment in the formal sector by exploring the interactions between the formal and the informal labour markets. The book also examines institutional factors—political, economic, and governance mechanisms—to explore the major causes that sustain or impede the dynamism of the informal labour markets.

Growth, sustainability, and India's Economic Reforms

T.N. Srinivasan — 2012-09-20

Author:: T.N.SrinivasanYale University
ISBN:: 9780198076384
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198076384.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

This book examines the origins, rationale, and outcomes of India's economic reforms in the context of changes in the economy, polity, and society. Looking at India's development experience across time, the book provides a comprehensive review of policies and performance of the economy since independence; a comparative analysis of the Indian experience with that of China as well as low-income countries; and an understanding of the recent global financial crisis vis-à-vis its implications for growth, sustainability, and the necessity of further reforms. Emphasizing the intrinsic goal of India's development — eradication of mass poverty — this book highlights future challenges and suggests appropriate policies.

Growth, Development, and Diversity

K. Pushpangadan and V.N. Balasubramanyam — 2012-09-20

Author:: K.PushpangadanCentre for Development Studies, TrivandrumV.N.BalasubramanyamProfessor of Development Economics, University of Lancaster
ISBN:: 9780198077992
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077992.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

Most states in India have experienced relatively high growth rates since the introduction of extensive economic liberalization measures. But there does not seem to be a recognizable correlation between the growth rates of states and their development record. ‘Growth’ and ‘development’ have been considered synonymous and used interchangeably, until recently. The concern that growth may not result in development has been expressed by Indian planners, policymakers, and experts on development issues. This volume not only recognizes this, but also analyses the main issue—the contribution of liberalization-induced growth to development. It helps us investigate how inclusive post-liberalization growth has been. The volume is covers three broad themes. The first section looks into the regional dimension of the growth–development debate. Combining economic theory with rigorous empirical investigations, regional disparities within and across the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar are identified. The second section delves into the impact of growth on vital aspects like child labour, nutrition, and education. Finally, the last section discusses the implications of growth on employment, trade, and productivity. The volume offers suggestions for policy at the state and sectoral levels for the promotion of inclusive growth in India.

The Grammar of Caste

Ashwini Deshpande — 2012-09-20

Author:: Ashwini Deshpande
ISBN:: 9780198072034
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198072034.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

This book examines the contemporary nature of caste disparities in India by using a framework that integrates discussions on caste from other social science disciplines with those from within economics. It brings together quantitative evidence on different dimensions of caste disparities based on two large national-level data sets, in order to analyse the degree of change in the caste system over the last two decades. Offering evidence based on economic analysis, it questions commonly-held views and challenges traditional wisdom. The chapter uses the latest methods that allow researchers to gauge discrimination and shows how some of these methods have been used in the Indian context and what the quest has yielded. The chapter constructs a multifaceted ‘Caste Development Index’ that allows a broader assessment and comparison of the standard of living of caste groups across states and time. Finally, the book also discusses policy responses to disparities and discrimination by reviewing the existing quota system.

Global Environmental Commons

Eric Brousseau, Tom Dedeurwaerdere, Pierre-André Jouvet, and Marc Willinger — 2012-09-20

Author:: EricBrousseauProfessor of Economics and Management; University Paris-Dauphine and European University InstituteTomDedeurwaerdereProfessor, Université Catholique de LouvainPierre-AndréJouvetFull Professor, Université de Paris Ouest -NanterreMarcWillingerProfessor, Université de Montpellier 1 and Institut Universitaire de France
ISBN:: 9780199656202
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199656202.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

Since the publication of path-breaking contributions on the governance of environmental resources in the early 1990s many political initiatives have been taken, many governance experiments have been run, and a large multidisciplinary field of research has opened up. The aim of this interdisciplinary book is to take stock of the dispersed knowledge that has been accumulated over the years and to address the new challenges in the provision of environmental goods by focusing on three essential dimensions with respect to governance. First, it addresses the issue of designing governance solutions through analyzing systems of rules and levels of organization in the governance and management of environmental issues. Second, it draws a renewed attention to the negotiation processes among stakeholders playing a crucial role in reaching agreements over issues and solutions, and in choosing and implementing particular policy instruments. Third, compliance to environmental rules and agreements has become a major problem, especially in a global context where there is no last-resort enforcer. The book shows that compliance depends on a combination of formal rules, enforced by recognized authorities, and informal obligations, such as social and individual norms. All in all, the evolution of the research frontiers on environmental governance show that more legitimate and informed processes of collective decision, and more subtle and effective ways of managing compliance can contribute to more effective policy. However, this book also shows that more democratic and effective governance should rely on more direct and pluralistic forms of involvement of citizens and stakeholders in the collective decision-making processes.

Electricity Sector in India

Alok Kumar and Sushanta Chatterjee — 2012-09-20

Author:: Alok Kumar, Sushanta Chatterjee
ISBN:: 9780198082279
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198082279.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

The book provides a comprehensive and critical discourse on the developments in the power sector since the enactment of the Electricity Act, 2003. It covers various important issues that have emerged in course of implementation of the Act, provides insights into the major trends, and gives a critical assessment of various solutions being suggested. The book analyses the sector in terms of a historical perspective of reforms in the power sector; the paradigm shift in the strategy of reforms after the Electricity Act, 2003; the salient features that the new Act brought in; the key judicial pronouncements that have defined the scope of various aspects covered by the 2003 Act; the process of evolution of regulatory framework; a comprehensive treatment of tariff-based competitive bidding framework culminating in ultra mega power projects; new initiatives to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency; the gap between vision and reality in the sector and suggestions for the way ahead. While the initial chapters deal with the evolution of the Act, various rules, regulations, and policies, and an overview of the regulatory environment in the sector, the subsequent chapters provide a critique of major policy and regulatory aspects of different segments of the electricity industry. Each of the latter chapters introduces readers to the basic legal and policy framework on a particular aspect, followed by a brief description of contemporary developments and a critical assessment of possible solutions to unresolved issues.

Brain Drain and Brain Gain

Tito Boeri, Herbert Brücker, Frédéric Docquier, and Hillel Rapoport — 2012-09-20

Author:: TitoBoeriProfessor of Economics, Università Bocconi and Scientific Director of Fondazione Rodolfo Debenedetti, ItalyHerbertBrückerProfessor of Economics, University of Bamberg, Germany and Head of Department, International Comparisons and European Integration, Institute for Employment Research (IAB)FrédéricDocquierProfessor of Economics, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium and Research Associate at the National Fund for Economic ResearchHillelRapoportAssociate Professor, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
ISBN:: 9780199654826
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Financial Economics
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654826.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-09-20

This volume reviews the most recent research on brain drain and brain gain, producing new original results by the means of data sources specifically assembled for this study, and addressing several key policy issues. Part I focuses on brain gain, that is, it takes the standpoint of the recipient country. The first section provides an overview of skill‐selective immigration policies in the main destination countries and of the major shifts in these policies which have been recently observed. It also documents the strong economic gains from immigration of highly skilled migrants. But what drives the decisions of highly skilled migrants as to where to locate? The econometric analyses performed by the authors indicate that it is mainly the labour market that is key to attracting talent, wage premia on education in particular. R&D spending also induces greater inflows of highly skilled migrants, while generous welfare benefits and strict employment protection end up attracting more unskilled workers. Part II is devoted to the consequences of brain drain, taking the point of view of the sending country. This second section provides for the first time a measure of the net global impact of the brain drain on sending countries. The results indicate that most developing countries experience a net gain from skilled emigration. Adverse overall impacts are found to be limited only to a subset of countries exhibiting very high skilled emigration rates. A number of policy recommendations are also offered to increase the benefits of brain drain.

The Politics of Poverty Reduction

Paul Mosley, Blessing Chiripanhura, Jean Grugel, and Ben Thirkell-White — 2012-05-24

Author:: Paul Mosley, Blessing Chiripanhura, Jean Grugel, Ben Thirkell-White
ISBN:: 9780199692125
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Macro- and Monetary Economics
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199692125.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-05-24

The aim is to understand the political processes which determine why poverty has been on a falling trend in some countries and not in others. The focus is on the developing world and on the period since 1980, although some country case studies cover a longer historical period going back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The analysis is based partly on comparisons across all developing countries and partly on case studies of nine of them. Often, it is found, pro-poor policies have been brought in not with progressive intentions, but out of fear that the state will fall apart unless pro-poor elements are incorporated into government, and the most effective regimes in reducing poverty have seldom been the kindest and most benevolent. Ability to provide the poor with access to key markets, in particular for labour and capital, is crucial, and this in turn requires fiscal strength. In the poorest countries, two crucial additional elements in the story are the ability to frame labour-intensive policies (given that labour is often the only thing which poor people are able to sell) and the design of pro-poor tax and expenditure policies. In these countries, aid donors can make a key contribution, partly through reinforcing recipients’ fiscal capacity, but much more through providing technical support of the right kind.

Good Growth and Governance in Africa

Akbar Noman, Kwesi Botchwey, Howard Stein, and Joseph E. Stiglitz — 2012-05-24

Author:: AkbarNomanSenior Fellow, Initiative for Policy Dialogue and Adjunct Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia UniversityKwesiBotchweyExecutive Chairman, African Development Policy Ownership Initiative (ADPOI)HowardSteinProfessor, Center for Afro-American and African Studies (CAAS), University of MichiganJoseph E.StiglitzUniversity Professor, Columbia University
ISBN:: 9780199698561
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199698561.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-05-24

Why has the economic growth performance of Sub-Saharan Africa overall been so disappointing over the past fifty years? More importantly, what can be done to sustain and improve upon the accelerated growth experienced in recent years? What are the possibilities and policies for Africa to achieve sustained, rapid economic growth, poverty reduction, and begin to catch up? What are the lessons of success in both Africa and elsewhere? Could some of the policies that proved so successful in East Asia help reverse the de-industrialization of Africa in the past three decades and be the basis of its structural transformation? These were the questions posed to a diverse group of experts on development convened by the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD). This volume reflects the highlights of their deliberations. It broadens the policy debate, expands the policy options and proposes alternative development strategies. This book captures the lively, and sometimes contentious, debate, but in the end, it provides a note of optimism for the future of a subcontinent whose economic experience has been so disappointing. Neither geography nor governance present an insurmountable obstacle in much of Africa, but the dominant governance agenda needs to be radically overhauled. Though success is not assured, there is good reason to believe that policies based on lessons of successes, notably in East Asia, can be adapted successfully in African contexts. And indeed, there are already a few notable successes, and more are in the offing.

Climate Change and Common Sense

Robert W. Hahn and Alistair Ulph — 2012-05-24

Author:: Robert W.HahnProfessor of Economics, Sustainable Consumption Institute, The University of Manchester and Director of Economics, Smith School, University of OxfordAlistairUlphDirector of the Sustainable Consumption Institute, The University of Manchester
ISBN:: 9780199692873
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199692873.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-05-24

There is widespread agreement that climate change is a serious problem. If we fail to regulate greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, or use alternative strategies for addressing the problem, the damages could be significant, and perhaps catastrophic. After several international meetings in which nation states have tried unsuccessfully to address the climate change problem, there is a widespread sense of frustration and urgency: frustration at the slow pace at which countries are moving toward an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; urgency because of the growing evidence that climate change is a serious problem that should be addressed globally and quickly. The aim of this book is to take a close look at the fundamental political and economic processes driving climate change policy. It identifies institutional arrangements and policies that are needed to design more effective climate change policy. The book also examines ethical and distributional arguments that are critical in understanding and framing the climate debate. The book is built around a conference honouring Tom Schelling that took place at the Sustainable Consumption Institute at The University of Manchester in October 2010. Each chapter represents a significant contribution to the literature on the political economy of climate change.

After the Spring

2012-05-24

Author:: Magdi Amin, Ragui Assaad, Nazar al-Baharna, Kemal Dervis, Raj M. Desai, Navtej S. Dhillon, Ahmed Galal, Hafez Ghanem, Carol Graham, Daniel Kaufmann
ISBN:: 9780199924929
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199924929.001.0001
Published in print:: 2012
Published Online:: 2012-05-24

The Arab Spring constitutes perhaps the most far-reaching political and economic transition since the end of communism in Europe. For too long, the economic aspirations of the people in the region, especially young people, have been ignored by leaders in Arab countries and abroad. Competing views as to how best to meet these aspirations are now being debated in the region. The outcome will shape Arab societies for generations to come. This book argues that significant economic reforms must accompany the major political transitions that are underway. Although each country has a different economic structure and history and must make its own way forward, there are spill-overs from trade and investment linkages, the contagion of news cycles, interaction of people and sharing of expectations that are too great to ignore. Some common foundation of the new Arab economies is needed. Towards that end, this volume addresses four central challenges of economic reform in the Arab world. First, with two-thirds of the population under the age of thirty, the disproportionate burdens of unemployment and poor education can no longer be heaped on youth. Second, while some government policies may have improved the living standards of Arab citizens in the past, they have also entrenched cronies, enriched a small elite, and become unaffordable. Third, if Arab economies are to compete in the 21st century they cannot depend solely on oil and gas money, remittances, and tourism, but will require active, independent private sectors. And finally, the relative isolation of Arab economies—both from each other and from the world—must end. Rather than providing specific lists of recommendations, this book sets forth a set of guidelines and priorities for reformers who will begin creating new opportunities for youth, rebuilding the institutions of the state, diversifying the private sector, and cooperating with each other and integrating with the world economy.

Poverty and Deprivation in Europe

Brian Nolan and Christopher T. Whelan — 2012-01-19

Author:: Brian Nolan, Christopher T. Whelan
ISBN:: 9780199588435
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199588435.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-01-19

Research on poverty in rich countries relies primarily on household income to capture living standards and distinguish those in poverty, and this is also true of official poverty measurement and monitoring. However, awareness of the limitations of income has been heightening interest in the role that non-monetary measures of deprivation can play. This book takes as its starting-point that research on poverty and social exclusion has been undergoing a fundamental shift towards a multidimensional approach; that researchers and policy-makers alike have struggled to develop concepts and indicators that do this approach justice; and that this is highly salient not only within individual countries (including both Britain and the USA) but also for the European Union post-enlargement. The difficulties encountered in applying a multidimensional approach reflect limitations in the information available but also in the conceptual and empirical underpinnings provided by existing research. The central aim of this book is to contribute to the development of those underpinnings and to productive ways of employing non-monetary indicators of deprivation. The book maps out the current landscape and the best way forward, concluding by offering a critical evaluation of the EU's 2020 poverty reduction target.

Fragile States

Wim Naudé, Amelia U. Santos-Paulino, and Mark McGillivray — 2012-01-19

Author:: WimNaudéSenior Research Fellow, World Institute for Development Economics Research, United Nations UniversityAmelia U.Santos-PaulinoEconomist, Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)MarkMcGillivrayResearch Professor, Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Deakin University
ISBN:: 9780199693153
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693153.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2012-01-19

Overcoming state fragility is one of the most important international development objectives of the 21st century. Many fragile states have turned into failed states, where millions of people are caught in deprivation and seemingly hopeless conditions. Fragile states lack the authority, legitimacy, and capacity that a modern state needs to advance the development of its peoples, and present deep challenges for the design and implementation of development policy. For instance, how is aid to be designed and delivered in a way that will help people in fragile states if their governments lack capacity to absorb and use aid? And what can be done about adverse side-effects of fragile states on their neighbours and the global community, such as heightened insecurity, rising out-migration, displaced populations, and the destruction of natural resources? This book documents the far reaching global repercussions of state fragility and provides a timely contribution to the international discourse on three dimensions of fragile states: their causes, costs, and the responses required. Its aim is to contribute to understanding of how strong and accountable states can be fostered-states where government and civil society progressively advance human wellbeing, underpin households' resilience in the face of shocks, and form effective partnerships to maximize the benefits of development assistance.

Welfare, Incentives, and Taxation

James Mirrlees — 2011-10-03

Author:: James Mirrlees
ISBN:: 9780198295211
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198295211.001.0001
Published in print:: 2006
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The author of this book is an economist interested in welfare, development, and public sector economics. The volume brings together published and unpublished work in these key areas.

War, Hunger, and Displacement: Volume 2

E. Wayne Nafziger, Frances Stewart, and Raimo Väyrynen — 2011-10-03

Author:: E. WayneNafzigerKansas State UniversityFrancesStewartSomerville College, OxfordRaimoVäyrynenUniversity of Notre Dame, Indiana
ISBN:: 9780198297406
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297406.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Since the end of the Cold War, the number of civil wars in developing countries has escalated to the point where they are the most significant source of human suffering in the world today. Although there are many political analyses of these emergencies, this two-volume work is the first comprehensive study of the economic, social, and political roots of humanitarian emergencies, identifying early measures to prevent such disasters. The authors draw on a wide range of specialists on the political economy of war and on major conflicts to show the causes of conflict. This second volume provides detailed case studies of thirteen conflicts (including Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus) that originated in the weakness of the state or where economic factors predominated. The volumes emphasize the significance of protracted economic stagnation and decline, high and increasing inequality, government exclusion of distinct social groups, state failure, and predatory rule. They debunk beliefs recurrent in the literature that emergencies are the result of deteriorating environmental conditions, structural adjustment, and deep-seated ethnic animosity. By analysing the causes and prevention of war and humanitarian emergencies in developing countries, this work outlines a less costly alternative to the present strategy of the world community of spending millions of dollars annually to provide mediation, relief, and rehabilitation after the conflict occurs.

War, Hunger, and Displacement: VOLUME 1

E. Wayne Nafziger, Frances Stewart, and Raimo Väyrynen — 2011-10-03

Author:: E. WayneNafzigerKansas State UniversityFrancesStewartSomerville College, OxfordRaimoVäyrynenUniversity of Notre Dame, Indiana
ISBN:: 9780198297390
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297390.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Civil wars in developing countries are amongst the most significant sources of human suffering in the world today. Although there are many political analyses of these emergencies, this text studies the economic, social, and political roots of humanitarian emergencies, identifying early measures to prevent such disasters. The chapters draw on a wide range of specialities on the political economy of war and on major conflicts to show the causes of conflict. This text here is the first of two volumes and it provides a general overview of the nature and causes of the emergencies, including economic, political, and environmental factors. Both volumes emphasize the significance of protracted economic stagnation and decline, government exclusion of distinct social groups, state failure, predatory rule, and high and increasing inequality, especially horizontal inequalities, or inequality among groups in access to political, economic, and social resources. They criticize beliefs recurrent in the literature that emergencies are the result of deteriorating environmental conditions or structural adjustment, or arise from ethnic animosities alone. Violent conflicts and state violence arise from the interaction of cultural, economic, and political factors. Following this analysis of the causes of war and genocide, the work points to policies that would help to prevent humanitarian emergencies in developing countries, which would be much less costly than the present strategy of the world community of spending millions of dollars annually to provide mediation, relief, and rehabilitation after the conflict occurs.

War and Underdevelopment

Frances Stewart and Valpy Fitzgerald — 2011-10-03

Author:: FrancesStewartQueen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, UKValpyFitzgeraldQueen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, UK
ISBN:: 9780199241866
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199241866.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Wars, especially civil wars, are among the most serious causes of human suffering and underdevelopment. Yet economic analysis of developing countries at war is relatively rare. These volumes aim to reverse this neglect, tracing the economic and social consequences of conflict both theoretically and through empirical investigations, including seven country case studies. A major objective is to identify policies which may reduce the heavy human and economic costs. Volume One provides a general framework for the analysis, examines the political economy of countries at war, and provides an empirical overview of the costs of war for the poor countries worst affected by conflict. The approach is multidisciplinary: political and sociological analysis is needed in order to understand motivations and behaviour during conflict, while economic analysis is necessary to evaluate how poor people are affected. The analysis includes an investigation of how the international system, including food aid, affects the war economies, and identifies international as well as domestic policies which may reduce the human and economic costs of conflict. The end of the Cold War led to a transition to peace in many of the areas in which conflict had been fuelled by East–West antagonism, but new wars erupted. From 1989 to 1995, between 34 and 51 armed conflicts were waged each year, the great majority in poor developing countries. The in-depth country case studies published in Volume Two (Afghanistan, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Uganda) are summarized in this, Volume One.

War and Underdevelopment

Frances Stewart and Valpy Fitzgerald — 2011-10-03

Author:: FrancesStewartQueen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, UKValpyFitzgeraldQueen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, UK
ISBN:: 9780199241880
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199241880.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Economic analysis of developing countries at war is relatively rare. These volumes trace the economic and social consequences of conflict both theoretically and through empirical investigations, including seven country case studies. Volume One provides a general framework for the analysis, examines the political economy of countries at war, and provides an empirical overview of the costs of war for poor countries. Political and sociological analysis is needed in order to understand motivations and behaviour during conflict; while economic analysis is necessary to evaluate how poor people are affected. The analysis includes an investigation of how the international system, including food aid, affects war economies, and identifies international as well as domestic policies which may reduce the human and economic costs of conflict. Between 1950 and 1990, around 15 million deaths were caused (directly or indirectly) by war in developing countries. From 1989 to 1995, between 34 and 51 armed conflicts were waged each year, the great majority in poor developing countries. These volumes investigate economic and social consequences at macro-, meso- and micro- levels, aiming to identify both the indirect and direct costs of military operations. The in-depth country case studies published in Volume Two (Afghanistan, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda) are summarized in Volume One. These explore the main economic mechanisms operating during war and the policy responses of governments and international actors.

Wage Labour and Unfreedom in Agriculture

V. K. Ramachandran — 2011-10-03

Author:: V. K. Ramachandran
ISBN:: 9780198286479
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198286479.001.0001
Published in print:: 1991
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

This book addresses the question of how it is that so much growth and technical change can take place in agriculture and yet leave the position of agricultural labourers relatively unchanged. Much has been written on farmers and employers in LDC agriculture, but little that focuses on employees. This book will hopefully stimulate contribution to the study of labour markets and to development studies. In an area described as at the vanguard of agricultural development in Southern India, the author shows in some detail how limited the changes in the situation of labourers have been as agriculture has developed, and how serious the constraints still are. There is full discussion of central concerns such as the increase in numbers and proportions of agricultural labourers, the stagnation and marginal decline of wage rates and earnings, the property-less status of agricultural labourers, consumption and indebtedness, and labour relationships and processes.

Transition and Institutions

Giovanni Andrea Cornia and Vladimir Popov — 2011-10-03

Author:: Giovanni AndreaCorniaUniversity of Florencehttp://www.unifi.it/drpeps/CMpro-v-p-75.htmlVladimirPopovCarleton University
ISBN:: 9780199242184
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242184.001.0001
Published in print:: 2001
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The gradual introduction of market reforms in China since 1978, and their subsequent massive and rapid adoption in the former Soviet bloc, triggered an intense debate on the factors and policies which promote a smooth transition to a market economy. Particularly during its initial phase, such debate has focused on liberalization, privatization, and the macro-economy of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia. Other reforming economies and aspects increasingly recognized as key to a successful transition have received less attention in the academic literature. This book attempts to fill the gap by reviewing the often-neglected role of initial structural and institutional conditions and their subsequent development during the course of the transition. The volume focuses in particular on China, Russia, and the often-ignored countries of Central Asia, Vietnam, and those economies — such as Cuba and North Korea — which are in the very early phases of the reform process.

Trade Policy, Industrialization, and Development

Gerald K. Helleiner — 2011-10-03

Author:: Gerald K.HelleinerUniversity of Toronto
ISBN:: 9780198283591
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198283591.001.0001
Published in print:: 1992
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

This book investigates the ways in which the characteristics of a developing country's domestic industrial sector — for example, oligopolistic markets, the position of foreign enterprises, and the acquisition of modern technologies — affect its chances of industrializing far enough to engage in substantial export trade. Particular attention is devoted to the real-world imperfections frequently overlooked by orthodox economists. Case studies are included of, for example, Brazilian civil aircraft, Korean semi-conductors, and the automobile industry in a number of developing countries. The volume contributes to a better appreciation of the actual problems and constraints of industrialization and growth in developing countries and points the way to useful further lines of research.

Social Security in Developing Countries

Ehtisham Ahmad, Jean Drèze, John Hills, and Amartya Sen — 2011-10-03

Author:: EhtishamAhmadInternational Monetary FundJeanDrèzeDelhi School of Economicshttp://www.econdse.org/faculty/Dreze/dreze.htmJohnHillsLondon School of Economics Welfare State Programmehttp://www2.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/Experts/j.hills@lse.ac.ukAmartyaSenHarvard Universityhttp://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/sen
ISBN:: 9780198233008
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198233008.001.0001
Published in print:: 1991
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The term ‘social security’ has a very different meaning in underdeveloped countries and is best understood as poverty alleviation. This book attempts to define social security in the Third World and to examine what sorts of programmes are most suitable for developing countries. It reviews current literature on the subject. Some chapters explore broad themes; others describe social security provisions in various regions in India, China, Latin America, and Southern Africa. Western systems are compared and broad assessments made of the traditional social security systems in Third World village societies. The book aims to put the subject of social security firmly on the agenda of development economic research with a view to stimulate much further research in this area.

Social Provision in Low-Income Countries

Germano Mwabu, Cecilia Ugaz, and Gordon White — 2011-10-03

Author:: GermanoMwabuUniversity of NairobiCeciliaUgazWIDER, United Nations UniversityGordonWhiteUniversity of Sussex
ISBN:: 9780199242191
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Public and Welfare
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242191.001.0001
Published in print:: 2001
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

During recent years, provision of key social services in low-income countries has been affected by adverse macroeconomic conditions and by radical changes in economic thinking. For example, the welfarist approach, which gives prominence to the state in delivering and financing social services, has been challenged by the neoliberal approach, which limits the role of the government to that of residual provider for the very poor. According to the neoliberal approach, the private sector could, by relying on price mechanisms, achieve more efficient provision. However, this approach relies on a rather narrow definition of efficiency which ignores social externalities in the delivery and use of services. This book analyses the merits and limitations of both welfarist and neoliberal approaches to the provision of key social services in terms of the outcomes and sustainability of the two approaches. The book proposes an alternative model of social provision, characterized by multiplicity in service delivery and financing. The new model, in which households, civil society, and government play important roles, avoids the inefficiencies of state provision and the exclusion and fragmentation of market-based systems. The chapters argue for an integrative approach which encourages the equity and efficiency gained from a synergistic relationship between various service providers. They further argue that the well-known market and government failures in social provision are due to undesirable extremes in policy design, rather than to inherent characteristics of market or government institutions. The strengths of this new approach are illustrated with case studies from Chile, China, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The book also describes how social services in Finland were organized in the early stages, and draws policy lessons for present day developing countries.

Short-Term Capital Flows and Economic Crises

Stephany Griffith-Jones, Manuel F. Montes, and Anwar Nasution — 2011-10-03

Author:: StephanyGriffith-JonesUniversity of Sussex and Commonwealth SecretariatManuel F.MontesFord FoundationAnwarNasutionCentral Bank of Indonesia and University of Indonesia
ISBN:: 9780198296867
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Macro- and Monetary Economics
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296867.001.0001
Published in print:: 2001
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The currency crises that engulfed East Asian economies in 1997 and Mexico in 1994 — and their high development costs — raise a serious concern about the net benefits for developing countries of large flows of potentially reversible short-term international capital. This book examines in depth the macroeconomic and other policy dilemmas confronting public authorities in the emerging economies as they deal with short-term capital movements, especially in the period before the outbreak of these crises. The studies are based on comparative case studies of key emerging economies. Valuable insights are also derived from contrasts between the East Asian, Latin American, African, and European experiences, between the financial and real effects of financial flows, and between private and public responsibilities in managing financial markets. This book analytically identifies the weaknesses in both domestic and international capital market regimes. The recommendations derived from this analysis apply to the development of financial markets in developing countries, the monitoring and regulation of mutual funds in source countries, and the future development of international capital markets.

The Rural-Urban Divide

John Knight and Lina Song — 2011-10-03

Author:: John Knight, Lina Song
ISBN:: 9780198293309
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, South and East Asia, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198293309.001.0001
Published in print:: 1999
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

This book describes and explains the remarkably large rural–urban divide in economic wellbeing that exists in China. How did it come about? How is it maintained, in the face of equilibrating market forces? What are the implications for future efficiency and equity in the Chinese economy? The book is divided into five parts: Part 1 introduces the context and scope of the study; Parts 2 and 3 measure and explain the rural–urban divide in income, education, health, and housing, both historically and by means of a household survey; Part 4 analyses the intersectoral movement of factors, both capital flows and the migration of labour; Part 5 ties together the arguments of the work and sets the Chinese experience in the broader context of transition and development economics. The book uses the rigorous analysis and empirical methodology of modern economics.

The Role of the State in Economic Change

Ha-Joon Chang and Robert Rowthorn — 2011-10-03

Author:: Ha-JoonChangRobertRowthornUniversity of Cambridge
ISBN:: 9780198289845
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289845.001.0001
Published in print:: 1995
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The role of the state has occupied centre stage in the development of economics as an independent discipline and is one of the most contentious issues addressed by contemporary economists and political economists. The immediate post-war years saw a swing in economic theory towards interventionism, motivated by the urgent need for reconstruction in advanced capitalist countries, the establishment of socialism in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, and the liberation of many developing nations from colonialism. After a quarter of a century of interventionist policies, a vigorous backlash against state intervention began with the discrediting of welfare statism in advanced capitalist countries, grew through the spread of liberalisation programmes among developing nations during the 1980s, and culminated in the dismantling of socialist central planning since 1989. This book examines patterns of interventionism and anti-interventionism in a wide variety of historical, political and institutional contexts and within different theoretical traditions. The primary focus is on the internal factors which shape the role of the state and determine its effectiveness in promoting economic change. It explains the growing disenchantment with the neo-liberal, anti-interventionist programme. Although one can talk of certain general principles, there is no hard and fast rule to determine the optimal degree and the desirable areas of state intervention, which can only be determined in the concrete historical, institutional, and geographical context. The challenge is to form a new synthesis in which the valid insights of neo-liberalism are stripped of their ideological baggage and intergrated into a wider and more objective intellectual framework.

Patriarchy and Development

Valentine M. Moghadam — 2011-10-03

Author:: Valentine M.MoghadamUNU/WIDER, Helsinki
ISBN:: 9780198290230
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198290230.001.0001
Published in print:: 1996
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

At the end of the 20th century, after four world conferences on women, debates on the impact of economic development on the lives and status of women — including their life-options and opportunities for betterment — continue unresolved. Is patriarchy on the decline, or is it merely its form that is changing? What effect does development have on gender relations, and how do patriarchal structures affect the development process? The chapters in this book were written for a UNU/WIDER research conference convened to explore two parallel phenomena: the changing position of women and gender relations and the relevance of the concept of patriarchy, and the impact of development — and especially industrialization and wage work — on women and gender. They address questions through theoretical, historical, and empirical approaches, and provide critical analysis and macro- and micro-level data for Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian sub-continent, the Nordic region, and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Following an introduction and overview, the book is divided into two main parts. Part II offers historical and theoretical perspectives on the evolution of women's positions in the course of development. Part III focuses on industrialization, state policies, and women workers. The book ends with an appendix of statistical tables providing descriptive data on women in the countries under consideration and others.

Nutrition and Poverty

S. R. Osmani — 2011-10-03

Author:: S. R.OsmaniWorld Institute for Development Economics Research
ISBN:: 9780198283966
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198283966.001.0001
Published in print:: 1993
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

This book addresses issues arising from the definition and measurement of poverty in terms of nutritional status. A high degree of nutritional deprivation is considered to be an indicator of poverty. Hence the definition of an appropriate nutritional yardstick and its measurement are of crucial significance for determining the level and magnitude of poverty. The book also debates energy-related deprivation and evaluates the respective merits of making comparisons of calorie intake against an average reference standard and making comparisons of anthropometric measurements of the body with some reference standard. Gender bias in the incidence of nutritional deprivation is also considered.

The Mortality Crisis in Transitional Economies

Giovanni Andrea Cornia and Renato Paniccià — 2011-10-03

Author:: Giovanni AndreaCorniaUNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florencehttp://www.unifi.it/drpeps/CMpro-v-p-75.htmlRenatoPanicciàInstitute for Economic Planning, Florence
ISBN:: 9780198297413
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297413.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

In spite of widespread expectations of improvements in living standards and health conditions, in most of the countries of the former Soviet bloc the transition to the market economy was accompanied by a sharp increase in (already high) death rates. Such an increase provoked an ‘excess mortality’ of some three million people over the period 1989–96 alone, an unprecedented phenomenon in peacetime. Such a crisis remains poorly explained, has generated a limited policy response in the countries concerned and international organizations, and is bound to generate important political and economic repercussions. This book is the first comprehensive assessment of the mortality crisis in transitional economies, of its causes, and of its remedies on the basis — among others — of micro data sets and quasi-panels on health trends which have never been used before. Contributions by demographers, economists, sociologists, epidemiologists, and health experts provide a rigorous analysis of the upsurge in mortality rates, with the aim of contributing to the launch of vigorous policies to tackle the crisis.

The Lever of Riches

Joel Mokyr — 2011-10-03

Author:: Joel Mokyr
ISBN:: 9780195074772
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195074772.001.0001
Published in print:: 1992
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

In a world of supercomputers, genetic engineering, and fiber optics, technological creativity is ever more the key to economic success. But why are some nations more creative than others, and why do some highly innovative societies—such as ancient China, or Britain in the industrial revolution—pass into stagnation? Beginning with a history of technological progress, the book traces the major inventions and innovations that have transformed society since ancient Greece and Rome. What emerges from this survey is often surprising: the classical world, for instance, was largely barren of new technology; the relatively backward society of medieval Europe bristled with inventions; and the period between the Reformation and the Industrial Revolution was one of slow and unspectacular progress in technology, despite the tumultuous developments associated with the Voyages of Discovery and the Scientific Revolution. The author distinguishes between the relationship of inventors and their physical environment—which determined their willingness to challenge nature—and the social environment, which determined the openness to new ideas. He examines the differences between Europe and China, between classical antiquity and medieval Europe, and between Britain and the rest of Europe during the industrial revolution. The author also examines such aspects as the role of the state (the Chinese gave up a millennium-wide lead in shipping to the Europeans, for example, when an Emperor banned large ocean-going vessels), the impact of science, as well as religion, politics, and even nutrition. He questions the importance of such commonly cited factors as the spill-over benefits of war, the abundance of natural resources, life expectancy, and labor costs.

Information Technology, Productivity, and Economic Growth

Matti Pohjola — 2011-10-03

Author:: MattiPohjolaWIDER, United Nations University
ISBN:: 9780199243983
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199243983.001.0001
Published in print:: 2001
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The often-advocated view that the information technology revolution will change the world must stem from the basic premise that investment in IT has a visible impact on productivity and economic growth. But how can we measure this impact and how large is it? By surveying previous studies and by presenting new micro- and macroeconomic evidence, this collection of chapters shows that in recent years the use of IT in the production of goods and services has had a strong influence on productivity and economic growth in industrial and in newly industrialized countries. Yet developing countries seem neither to have invested in IT nor benefited from such investments to the same extent as industrial countries. There is concern that information is becoming a commodity, like income and wealth, by which countries are classified as rich and poor. The chapters in this volume argue that investment in infrastructure, physical capital, and education are key to economic development and that the IT content of these investments should be high. Besides providing citizens with access to IT and to IT education and training, governments should promote participation in the information society, thus generating a sufficiently strong demand base for information products. By developing advanced applications of IT, and by becoming a model for the private sector, governments can alter worker, firm, and consumer attitudes, and lower their costs of adopting IT. The use of IT, not necessarily its production, is what matters for economic development.

Indian Development

Jean Drèze and Amartya Sen — 2011-10-03

Author:: JeanDrèzeDelhi School of Economicshttp://www.econdse.org/faculty/Dreze/dreze.htmAmartyaSenhttp://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/sen
ISBN:: 9780198292043
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, South and East Asia, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198292043.001.0001
Published in print:: 1997
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

India is a country of great diversity. The commonly used indicators of ‘quality of life’ (such as life expectancy, infant mortality, and literacy) vary tremendously between the different states, rivaling international contrasts between very low performing countries and very high achieving ones. This book reflects an attempt to draw lessons from the disparate experiences within India, rather than from contrasts with the experiences of other countries. This book supplements India: Economic Development and Social Opportunity, by the same authors, which studies what we can learn from international comparisons of policies, actions, and achievements. The chapters challenge exclusively economic judgments of the development process. The first task is to identify the ends of economic and social development in order to have a basis in which to found the means and strategies. The second task is to understand a wider range of means than those related simply to the use or non-use of markets. The first two overview chapters study the issues at a national level, focusing on policy debates and district-by-district demographic indicators, respectively. They are followed by detailed case studies of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and West Bengal.

The Impact of EMU on Europe and the Developing Countries

Charles Wyplosz — 2011-10-03

Author:: CharlesWyploszGraduate Institute of International Studies, Genevahttp://hei.unige.ch/sections/ec/faculty/profile/wyplosz.html
ISBN:: 9780199245314
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199245314.001.0001
Published in print:: 2001
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Much has been written about European Monetary Union (EMU), mostly concerning its desirability and whether it will ever come to exist. Now it is here, and likely to stay. The ‘next generation’ of research on EMU is already under way, and this volume presents a significant sample of that research. The authors explore questions such as: How do central bankers who used to run their own banks now melt into a single pot? Are labour markets going to shape up? Is the euro becoming a world currency? The book examines the impact of EMU on the rest of the world – the developing and transition countries – and the likely evolution of trade patterns inside and outside Europe.

Governing Globalization

Deepak Nayyar — 2011-10-03

Author:: DeepakNayyarVice-Chancellor, University of Delhi
ISBN:: 9780199254033
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199254033.001.0001
Published in print:: 2002
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

It is now more than fifty years since the United Nations (UN) system and the Bretton Woods institutions were created. The world has changed since then, and so have its governance needs in terms of institutions and rules. It is time to think about the contours of institutions and governance that would meet the needs of the world economy, and also polity, at least for the first quarter of the 21st century. This book examines the subject in depth by situating it in the wider context of globalisation which has shaped development in the world economy, affected the living conditions of people, and constrained the role of nation states. It explores the international context and the national setting and analyses some issues of emerging significance in the contemporary world, such as global macroeconomic management, transnational corporations, international capital flows, and cross-border movements of people. It also provides a critical evaluation of the existing institutions, in retrospect, with a focus on the UN, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation. It examines how existing rules need to be modified or existing institutions need to be restructured to meet the present and future needs of global governance. Finally, the book explores some important elements of governance which are critical for any vision of the future, suggests some changes in existing institutions, and points to emerging governance needs where new institutions may have to be created.

The Golden Age of Capitalism

Stephen A. Marglin and Juliet B. Schor — 2011-10-03

Author:: Stephen A.MarglinJuliet B.SchorHarvard University
ISBN:: 9780198287414
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198287414.001.0001
Published in print:: 1992
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

For some twenty years after the Second World War, Keynesian economic policies in countries of the capitalist West were successful in generating rapid growth with high employment. This ‘golden age of capitalism’ did not survive the economic traumas of the 1970s; nor has the more recent emphasis on monetarist policies and supply-side performance succeeded in regenerating comparable growth rates. Blending historical analysis with economic theory, this book seeks to understand the making and unmaking of this ‘golden age’, question the basis of much present policy-making, and suggest alternative directions for policy.

From Shock to Therapy

Grzegorz W. Kolodko — 2011-10-03

Author:: Grzegorz W. Kolodko
ISBN:: 9780198297437
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297437.001.0001
Published in print:: 2000
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The great transformation undertaken by the countries of the former communist bloc exhibits immense diversity and in terms of initial conditions, shifting target models, consistency, paths, speed, progress to date, and economic performance. This book studies the economics and politics of postsocialism. Many people writing on the reform process offer advice that is not really credible; as a member of the Polish government, and architect of the successful Polish reform, the author of this book actually solved many of the difficulties of transition, which allows him to come forward here with policy proposals and long-term forecasts. The treatment of the transition from plan to market as a historical process is an important feature of the book. The book claims that there is no historical fatality that sound policies in the present are more determining than the favourable or unfavourable legacies of the past. The aim is to create and maintain the conditions for sustainable growth and durable development.

From Conflict to Recovery in Africa

Tony Addison — 2011-10-03

Author:: TonyAddisonDeputy Director UNU/WIDERhttp://www.wider.unu.edu/aboutus/people/resident-researchers/en_GB/addison-tony/
ISBN:: 9780199261031
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199261031.001.0001
Published in print:: 2003
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Establishing peace and reconstructing Africa's war-damaged economies are urgent challenges. For Africa to recover, communities must reconstruct, private sectors must revitalize, and states must transform themselves. Thus, unless communities rebuild and strengthen their livelihoods, neither reconstruction nor growth can be poverty-reducing. But communities cannot prosper unless private investment recreates markets and generates more employment. And neither communities nor entrepreneurs can realise their potential without a development state — one that is democratically accountable and dedicated to poverty-reducing development. The international community can do much to assist — through more aid, debt relief, and peacekeeping — but ultimately the future lies in the hands of Africans themselves. This book examines these themes in a selection of African countries that have gone through intense and prolonged conflict, and its policy conclusions are important for understanding the prospects for peace and recovery not only in Africa, but also in other ‘post-conflict’ societies across the world. It also discusses the cross-cutting issues of how economic and political reforms interact with conflict resolution and ‘post-conflict’ reconstruction. This interaction is often neglected by both governments and donors. However, reform and reconstruction cannot be kept separate if conflict is to be halted and poverty reduced. The book's examination of the economic dimensions of recovery from war places particular emphasis on designing a recovery in which the poor participate, so that the benefits of reconstruction from war do not just flow to a narrow élite.

Financial Openness and National Autonomy

Tariq Banuri and Juliet B. Schor — 2011-10-03

Author:: TariqBanuriInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural ResourcesJuliet B.SchorHarvard University
ISBN:: 9780198283645
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198283645.001.0001
Published in print:: 1992
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

WIDER (The World Institute for Development Economics Research), established in 1984, started work in Helsinki in 1985, with the financial support of the Government of Finland. Its principal purpose is to help identify and meet the need for policy-oriented socio-economic research on pressing global and developmental problems and their inter-relationships. WIDER's research projects are grouped into three main themes: hunger and poverty; money, finance, and trade; and development and technological transformation. The 1980s ushered in a ‘globalization’ of finance, and governments began rejecting the task of engaging in international financial management. A new doctrine — global neoclassicism — arose, based on the idea that government regulation of financial markets was futile and foolish. The book tackles the question of whether national policy autonomy is still possible, in the process challenging the new orthodoxy, and the dangers attendant upon deregulation. The chapters explore the ‘political economy’ of financial openness, and the political nature of recent developments such as the ascendency of private financial interests and a reduced role for government regulation. The book includes both general historical and theoretical approaches, as well as case studies of various countries, such as Australia, Mexico, and Pakistan.

The Economics of Transnational Commons

Partha Dasgupta, Karl-Göran Mäler, and Alessandro Vercelli — 2011-10-03

Author:: ParthaDasguptaCambridge Universityhttp://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/faculty/dasgupta/Karl-GöranMälerBeijer Institute, Stockholmhttp://www.beijer.kva.se/staff_under.php?id=27AlessandroVercelliUniversity of Siena
ISBN:: 9780198292203
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198292203.001.0001
Published in print:: 1997
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Transnational commons, cross-border areas without well-defined property rights, have long been ignored in ‘official’ development economics. This volume redresses the balance by adopting an environmental approach, which stresses the importance of shared natural resources and the links between acute poverty and environmental degradation. This book draws together contributors from fields as diverse as law, population studies, social anthropology, biological sciences, and economics, to present authoritative accounts that combine empirical case studies with rigorous theoretical foundations. Despite the multi-disciplinary approach, the main focus of the chapters is the same: that the reciprocal externalities and problems of free-riding created by any common resource are complicated in the case of transnational commons by difficulties in monitoring, enforcement, and unequal access to information. Often using theories of negotiation taken from game theory, the studies then suggest possible solutions, both at an institutional and educational level.

Dominating Knowledge

Frédérique Apffel Marglin and Stephen A. Marglin — 2011-10-03

Author:: Frédérique ApffelMarglinSmith CollegeStephen A.MarglinHarvard University
ISBN:: 9780198286943
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Economic Systems
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198286943.001.0001
Published in print:: 1990
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

This book addresses the role of knowledge in economic development and in resistance to development. It questions the conventional view that development is the application of superior knowledge to the problems of poor countries, and that resistance to development comes out of ignorance and superstition. It argues instead that the basis of resistance is the fear that the material benefits of Western technologies can be enjoyed only at the price of giving up indigenous ways of knowing and valuing the world, an idea fostered as much by present-day elites, who have internalized the colonial elites who ruled before them. A prerequisite to decoupling Western technologies from these political entailments is to understand the conflict between different ways of knowing and valuing the world. This book addresses neither the strategy nor the tactics of development, but the conception itself. Its focus is on knowledge and power in the development process. The book argues that “modern” knowledge wins out in the conflict with “traditional” knowledge not because of its superior cognitive power, but because of its prestige, associated both with the economic and political ascendancy of the West over the past 500 years and with the cultural history of the West itself.

Decolonizing Knowledge

Frédérique Apffel-Marglin and Stephen A. Marglin — 2011-10-03

Author:: FrédériqueApffel-MarglinSmith College, MassachusettsStephen A.MarglinHarvard University
ISBN:: 9780198288848
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198288848.001.0001
Published in print:: 1996
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

Development failures, environmental degradation and social fragmentation can no longer be regarded as side effects of ‘externalities’. They are the toxic consequences of pretensions that the modern Western view of knowledge is a universal neutral view, applicable to all people at all times. The very word ‘development’ and its cognates ‘underdevelopment’ and ‘developing’ confidently mark the ‘first’ world as the future of the ‘third’. This book argues that the linear evolutionary paradigm of development that comes out of the modern Western view of knowledge is a contemporary form of colonialism. The chapters — covering topics as diverse as the theory of knowledge underlying the work of John Maynard Keynes, what the renowned British geneticist J.B.S. Haldane was looking for when he migrated to India, the knowledge of Mexican and Indian peasants — propose a pluralistic vision and decolonization of knowledge: the replacement of one-way transfers of knowledge and technology by dialogue and mutual learning.

Continuity and Change in China’s Rural Development

Louis Putterman — 2011-10-03

Author:: Louis Putterman
ISBN:: 9780195078725
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195078725.001.0001
Published in print:: 1993
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

This book is a detailed study of rural reform in China. After the death of Mao, and with the ascendency of Deng Xiaoping in 1978, China began a programme of agricultural reform intended to increase productivity. Three major changes moved the agricultural sector from a centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one. First was the replacement of collective teams by farming by households. Second, an increase in free markets for rural products, and an increase in state prices for farm products, and the partial elimination of the two-tier price system. Third were changes in the economic structure that facilitated greater productivity and a 250% increase in average real rural incomes between 1979 and 1986. This book is unique in that it studies a single township (Dahe in Hebei Province) in depth over the two periods, thus providing data about the effects of reform at village level.

COMMODITY SUPPLY MANAGEMENT BY PRODUCING COUNTRIES

Alfred Maizels, Robert Bacon, and George Mavrotas — 2011-10-03

Author:: Alfred Maizels, Robert Bacon, George Mavrotas
ISBN:: 9780198233381
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198233381.001.0001
Published in print:: 1997
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The collapse in commodity prices since 1980 has been a major cause of the economic crisis in a large number of developing countries. This book investigates whether the commodity-producing countries, by joint action, could have prevented the price collapse by appropriate supply management. The analysis is focused on the markets for the tropical beverage crops: coffee, cocoa, and tea. Using new econometric models for each market, the impact of alternative supply management schemes on supply, consumption, prices, and export earnings is simulated for the later 1980s. The results indicate that supply management by producing countries would, indeed, have been a viable alternative to the ‘free market’ approach favoured by the developed countries. This has important implications for current international commodity policy, and, in particular, for future joint action by producing countries to overcome persistent commodity surpluses as a complement to needed diversification.

Access to Land, Rural Poverty, and Public Action

2011-10-03

Author:: Alainde JanvryUniversity of California at BerkeleyGustavoGordilloFAO, ChileElisabethSadouletUniversity of California at BerkeleyJean-PhilippePlatteauUniversity of Namur, Belgium
ISBN:: 9780199242177
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242177.001.0001
Published in print:: 2001
Published Online:: 2011-10-03

The way jurisdiction over land is distributed among members of a community has a powerful influence over how efficiently land is used, the incidence of poverty, and the level of inequality in the community. Yet much land in less developed countries is underutilized and/or misused from a sustainability standpoint: lack of access to land or unfavorable terms of access remain a fundamental cause of poverty. In addition, unmet demands for land can be a source of political destabilization. At the same time, there presently exist unusual opportunities to reopen the issue of access to land. They include an increasing concern with the efficiency costs of inequality in land distribution, devolution of common property resource management to users, large scale redefinitions of property rights in the context of transition economies in Eastern and central Europe and the end of white rule in South Africa, liberalization of land markets, mounting pressure to deal with environmental issues, the proliferation of civil society organizations voicing the demands of the rural poor, and more democratic forms of governance. Much attention has been given to state-led redistributive land reforms. Other channels include inheritance and inter-vivos transfers, intrahousehold and intracommunity land allocations, community titling of open access resources, the distribution of common property resources and the individualization of rights, decollectivization, land markets and land market-assisted land reforms, and land rental contracts. This book analyzes each of these channels of access to land, and recommends ways of making them more effective.

Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development

Adam Szirmai, Wim Naudé, and Micheline Goedhuys — 2011-09-22

Author:: AdamSzirmaiProfessorial Fellow UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, The Netherlandshttp://unu.edu/faculty/adam-szirmaiWimNaudéSenior Research Fellow UNU-WIDER, Helsinkihttp://www.msm.nl/Faculty/Prof--Wim-A--Naude.aspxMichelineGoedhuysResearch Fellow, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, The Netherlandshttp://www.merit.unu.edu/about/profile.php?id=618&stage=
ISBN:: 9780199596515
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199596515.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2011-09-22

Entrepreneurship and innovation are two of the most pervasive concepts of our times, yet there are still gaps in our understanding of the interactions between entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly in developing countries. This book attempts to fill this gap. It focuses on the entrepreneurship-innovation-development nexus, drawing heavily on empirical evidence from developing countries. Cross-country and individual country experiences cover nations as diverse as Ethiopia, India, Turkey, Vietnam, and also examine lessons from advanced economies such as Finland. Three sets of questions are addressed. What is the impact of entrepreneurship and innovation on growth and development? What determines the innovative performance of entrepreneurs in developing countries? What role does the institutional environment play in shaping the extent and impact of innovative activities? A key message is that entrepreneurial innovation, whether through small firms, large national firms, or multinational firms, is often vibrant in developing countries, but does not always realise its full potential. This is due to institutional constraints, the absence of the appropriate mix of different types of small and large and domestic and foreign firms, and insufficiently developed firm capabilities.

Costs and Benefits of Economic Integration in Asia

Robert J. Barro and Jong-Wha Lee — 2011-09-22

Author:: Robert J.BarroHarvard Universityhttp://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/barroJong-WhaLeeAsian Development Bank
ISBN:: 9780199753987
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, South and East Asia, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753987.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2011-09-22

The global financial crisis of 2008/09 raised concerns that the world would move toward protectionism and isolationism. One fear was that tariffs and other barriers to international trade would increase, thereby reducing exports and imports of goods and services. Also restrictions on international financial flows might grow, thereby lowering cross-border asset holdings and amounts of foreign direct investment. Increases in trade and financial protectionism clearly pose threats to Asian economies, which rely heavily on external demand as an impetus to growth and are closely linked to global financial markets. To study these and related issues, this volume brings together eight chapters that deal with time patterns in trade barriers, volumes of trade, cross-border asset holdings and flows, foreign direct investment, currency regimes, and production structures between countries. The chapters emphasize developments in Asia since the early 1990s, but parts of the analysis relate to longer-term Asian history. The inclusion of the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis is particularly advantageous, although it was more localized than the 2008/09 crisis, the reactions observed within Asia in the late 1990s provide useful information about likely responses in Asia and elsewhere to the 2008/09 event.

Converging Worlds of Welfare?

Jochen Clasen — 2011-09-22

Author:: JochenClasenProfessor of Comparative Social Policy, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburghhttp://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/social_policy/clasen_jochen
ISBN:: 9780199584499
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199584499.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2011-09-22

The book compares attitudes towards public and private welfare as well as developments in three social policy domains in the United Kingdom and Germany since the 1990s. Focusing on aspects such as fairness and social justice, it investigates to what extent perceptions towards the welfare state and collective forms of solidarity have changed in the context of profound social and economic change. Reviewing developments in family, pensions, and labour market policies, and taking account of both public provision as well as the role of companies, it asks whether the two countries have become more similar to each other since the 1990s. The chapters illustrate a considerable degree of policy dynamics, including far-reaching change in some areas which challenges conventional depictions of traditional welfare models. However, despite some degree of convergence in areas such as family policy, important cross-national differences in the provision and role of social policy remain.

Who Needs Migrant Workers?

Martin Ruhs and Bridget Anderson — 2011-01-01

Author:: MartinRuhsSenior Economist, Centre on Migration, Policy & Society (COMPAS), University of Oxford, UKBridgetAndersonSenior Researcher, Centre on Migration, Policy & Society (COMPAS), University of Oxford, UK
ISBN:: 9780199580590
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Public and Welfare
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580590.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2011-01-01

This book discusses the demand for migrant labour both conceptually and empirically with a focus on the UK. With the number of migrant workers at a record high, the regulation of labour immigration is one of the most controversial public policy issues in high‐income countries. A central question in these debates is how to link the admission of migrant workers to the ‘needs’ of the domestic labour market and national economy more generally. What these needs are, how they vary across sectors and occupations, and how they change during periods of economic growth and crisis are highly contested. A key theme is the importance of ‘system effects’ that ‘produce’ certain types of domestic labour shortages. Heavily influenced by the state, system effects arise from the institutional and regulatory frameworks of the labour market and from wider public policies (e.g. welfare policies), many of which are not ostensibly to do with the labour market — hence the book's emphasis of the link between immigration and public policy more generally. The empirical chapters include quantitative analysis of the changing role of migrant workers, and in‐depth examinations of demand for migrant workers in six sectors: health; social care; hospitality; food production; construction; and financial services. The book concludes with a comparative analysis of research and policy approaches to assessing labour shortages, with a particular focus on the potential lessons of the UK's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), whose work has been heavily influenced by the research for this book, for current debates about immigration reform in the US.

Urbanization and Development

Jo Beall, Basudeb Guha-Khasnobis, and Ravi Kanbur — 2011-01-01

Author:: JoBeallDeputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town, South Africahttp://www.uct.ac.za/about/management/dvc/#beallBasudebGuha-KhasnobisSenior Economic Advisor, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), Malawihttp://www.iitgn.ac.in/faculty/eco/basudeb.htmRaviKanburLee Professor of World Affairs and Economics, Cornell University, USAhttp://www.dyson.cornell.edu/people/profiles/kanbur.php
ISBN:: 9780199590148
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Public and Welfare
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199590148.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2011-01-01

By many estimates, the world has just crossed the point where more than half the global population is urban, a trend driven by rapid urbanization in developing countries. Urban centres offer economies of scale in terms of productive enterprise and public investment. Cities are social melting pots, centres of innovation, and drivers of social change. However, cities are also marked by social differentiation, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation. These are all issues that not only matter to cities but also lie at the heart of development. As such, the time is right to consider afresh the relationship between cities and development. This volume presents a significant new collection of multidisciplinary papers focused on urbanization and its implications for development. It raises four questions:

Financial Systems in Developing Economies

Robert M. Townsend — 2011-01-01

Author:: Robert M. Townsend
ISBN:: 9780199533237
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, South and East Asia
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199533237.001.0001
Published in print:: 2011
Published Online:: 2011-01-01

This book evaluates the financial system of Thailand, a proto-typical developing economy. Specifically, the book evaluates the impact of financial institutions, markets, and policies on growth, inequality, poverty, and the welfare of households and businesses. A repeated theme is the description of the Thai economy as an integrated micro/macro, general equilibrium system, with the choices of diverse individual agents limited by obstacles to trade and aggregated up to explain macro variables. Various government program innovations, and plausibly exogenous variation in access to intermediation, have had non-trivial impact on households and businesses. More generally, enhanced finance is established to be correlated with, and causally related to, growth of GDP and poverty reduction, though with mixed consequences for the distribution of income. Quantification of the distribution of gains, losses, and macro impact of financial policy variation requires a specification of why markets, contracts, and institutions may appear to be incomplete in combination.

The Poor under Globalization in Asia, Latin America, and Africa

Machiko Nissanke and Erik Thorbecke — 2010-09-01

Author:: MachikoNissankeProfessor of Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Londonhttp://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff31524.phpErikThorbeckeGraduate School and International Professor of Economics, Cornell Universityhttp://www.human.cornell.edu/bio.cfm?netid=et17
ISBN:: 9780199584758
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199584758.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-09-01

Globalization and poverty epitomize two of the most pressing contemporary international development issues. Despite the enormous potential of globalization in accelerating economic growth and development through greater integration into the world economy, the spread and transfer of technology, and the transmission of knowledge, its impact on poverty reduction has been uneven and even marginal in some regions. Both the prevalence and depth of poverty in many parts of the developing world remain unacceptably high. Many of the current problems facing the global community are related to how fair the international economic and political system is perceived in relation to the poor in developing countries. This volume presents thirteen studies selected from three regional conferences organized under the auspices of UNU‐WIDER to illustrate the differential effects of globalization on growth, inequality, and poverty in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Significant differences in initial conditions—natural resource endowment, quantity and quality of human capital, institutional framework, quality of governance—as well as distinct internal dynamic processes of institutional and sociopolitical change triggered by the forces of economic integration have influenced the poor in these regions in quite dissimilar ways. Focusing on distinct manifestations of globalization and channels through which the latter affects poverty, these case studies cover the spectrum from broad macroeconomic regional and country analyses to micro‐oriented village studies in each of the three continents. This volume clearly illustrates that the impact of globalization on poverty is extremely context‐specific, reflecting the heterogeneous and complex nature of the globalization–poverty nexus.

Gender and Green Governance

Bina Agarwal — 2010-09-01

Author:: Bina Agarwal
ISBN:: 9780199569687
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199569687.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-09-01

Economists studying environmental collective action and green governance have paid little attention to gender. Research on gender and green governance in other disciplines has focused mainly on women's near absence from forestry institutions. This interdisciplinary book turns that focus on its head to ask: what if women were present in these institutions? What difference would that make? Would women's inclusion in forest governance – undeniably important for equity – also affect decisions on forest use and outcomes for conservation and subsistence? Are women's interests in forests different from men's? Would women's presence lead to better forests and more equitable access? Does it matter which class of women governs? And how large a presence of women would make an impact? Answers to these questions can prove foundational for effective environmental governance. Yet they have hardly been empirically investigated. This book is the first major study to comprehensively address these wide-ranging issues. It traces women's history of exclusion from public institutions, the factors that constrain their effective participation, and how those constraints can be overcome. It outlines how strategic partnerships between forestry and other civil society institutions could strengthen rural women's bargaining power with community and government. It examines the complexities of eliciting government accountability in addressing poor rural women's needs, such as for clean domestic fuel and access to the commons. Located in the interface of environmental studies, political economy and gender analysis, the volume makes contributions to current debates on gender and governance, forest conservation, clean energy policy, critical mass and social inclusion.

Emerging Giants

Barry Eichengreen, Poonam Gupta, and Rajiv Kumar — 2010-09-01

Author:: BarryEichengreenProfessor of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeleyhttp://polisci.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/person_detail.php?person=235PoonamGuptaDepartment of Economics, Delhi School of EconomicsRajivKumarDirector and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
ISBN:: 9780199575077
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, South and East Asia
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199575077.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-09-01

China and India are two of the fastest growing countries in the world. The rapid growth of their economies has far-reaching implications for global living standards, poverty reduction, and competitiveness and distribution of income in the rest of the world. Reflecting these facts, there has been a surge of interest in the nature and implications of China and India's economic growth. This volume brings together the best such research on related issues and places them in a comparative perspective. The issues range from the roles of China and India in the world economy, contrasts in their development experience, and challenges to sustaining growth. A key message of this volume is that though both China and India have seen millions lifted out of poverty through successful economic growth, they face serious challenges going forward. Challenges emanate from the fact that growth in the two countries has been concentrated in a few sectors, has relied on unsustainably high levels of capital accumulation in China, and has not generated adequate employment growth in India. China needs to rebalance its growth away from investment and exports, move toward a more rational pricing system for land, power, and fuel, enforce more stringent environmental standards, implement significant reforms of the financial sector, and adopt greater exchange rate flexibility. India needs to grow its manufacturing sector, reform its labor laws, invest in infrastructure, further liberalize its foreign trade, and strengthen its financial system by reducing the dominance and influence of the public sector.

Southern Engines of Global Growth

Amelia U. Santos-Paulino and Guanghua Wan — 2010-05-01

Author:: Amelia U.Santos-PaulinoResearch Fellow, World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER)http://www.wider.unu.edu/aboutus/people/resident-researchers/en_GB/santos-paulino-amelia/GuanghuaWanSenior Economist, Asian Development Bankhttp://www.wider.unu.edu/aboutus/Former-staff/n-z/en_GB/wan-guanghua/
ISBN:: 9780199580606
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580606.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-05-01

China, India, Brazil, and South Africa are reshaping the world economy. These Southern Engines countries have experienced a dramatic transformation in their productive and trade capabilities, consequently turning into global super powers. The current age of globalization, in which the Southern Engines have a primary role, faces a mixed set of interconnections wherein countries and economic agents are linked closely together by trade in goods and services, flows of capital, and movements of talent and skills. Much has been written about the spectacular performance of the Asian Giants, China and India. Arising from a UNU-WIDER research project, this book goes further by studying the substantial contribution of other large emerging countries such as Brazil and South Africa. Using a wealth of data, as well as case studies, the book provides a detailed history review of industrialization and economic development. This book explores the foundations of the Southern Engines development experiences, and how these could provide resourceful lessons to the developing world. Additionally, the foremost patterns of international politics and governance are dealt with and the book critically assesses how the Southern Engines have contributed to rebalance geopolitics.

Overcoming Developing Country Debt Crises

Barry Herman, José Antonio Ocampo, and Shari Spiegel — 2010-05-01

Author:: BarryHermanVisiting Senior Fellow, Graduate Program in International Affairs, The New Schoolhttp://www.gpia.info/hermanJosé AntonioOcampoProfessor and Co-President Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia Universityhttp://www.sipa.columbia.edu/academics/directory/jao2128-fac.htmlShariSpiegelPrincipal at New Holland Capital, PLC, an advisor to ABP.
ISBN:: 9780199578788
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199578788.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-05-01

Developing country debt crises have been a recurrent phenomenon over the past two centuries. Despite the fact that several developing countries now have stronger economic fundamentals than they did in the 1990s, sovereign debt crises will recur. Indeed, today we are in the midst of an almost unprecedented global ‘bust’. The conventional wisdom today is that the international economic and financial system is broken. The call in this book for international reform of sovereign debt workouts derives from both economic theory and real‐world experiences of different processes used for debt workouts. Country case studies underline the point that we need to do better. We recognize that the politics of the international treatment of sovereign debt has not supported systemic reform efforts thus far; however, failure in the past does not preclude success in the future in an evolving international political environment, and the book thus puts forth alternative reform ideas for consideration.

India

Jean Drèze and Amartya Sen — 2010-05-01

Author:: Jean Drèze, Amartya Sen
ISBN:: 9780199257492
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199257492.001.0001
Published in print:: 2002
Published Online:: 2010-05-01

This book explores the role of public action in eliminating deprivation and expanding human freedoms in India. The analysis is based on a broad and integrated view of development, which focuses on wellbeing and freedom rather than the standard indicators of economic growth. The authors place human agency at centre stage, and stress the complementary roles of different institutions (economic, social, and political) in enhancing effective freedoms. In comparative international perspective, the Indian economy has done reasonably well in the period following the economic reforms initiated in the early nineties. However, relatively high aggregate economic growth coexists with the persistence of endemic deprivation and deep social failures. The authors relate this imbalance to the continued neglect, in the post-reform period, of public involvement in crucial fields such as basic education, health care, social security, environmental protection, gender equity, and civil rights, and also to the imposition of new burdens such as the accelerated expansion of military expenditure. Further, the authors link these distortions of public priorities with deep-seated inequalities of social influence and political power. The text is supported by an updated and expanded statistical appendix. The book discusses the possibility of addressing these biases through more active democratic practice.

Foreign Aid for Development

George Mavrotas — 2010-05-01

Author:: GeorgeMavrotasChief Economist, Global Development Network (GND)http://www.cris.unu.edu/Dr-George-Mavrotas.368.0.html
ISBN:: 9780199580934
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580934.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-05-01

Foreign aid is one of the few topics in the development discourse with such an uninterrupted, yet volatile history in terms of interest and attention from academics, policymakers, and practitioners alike. Does aid work in promoting growth and reducing poverty in the developing world? Will a new ‘big push’ approach accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals or will another opportunity be missed? Can the lessons of almost half a century of aid giving be learnt? These are truly important questions in view of the emerging new landscape in foreign aid lately as well as recent developments related to the global financial crisis, which are expected to have far reaching implications for both donors and recipients engaged in this area. Against this shifting aid landscape, there is a pressing need to evaluate progress to date and shed new light on emerging issues and agendas. This volume brings together leading experts in this area to review the progress achieved so far, identify the challenges ahead, and discuss the emerging policy agenda in foreign aid. A central conclusion emanating from this important as well as timely volume is that, since development aid remains crucial for many developing countries, a huge effort is needed from both donors and aid recipients to overcome the inefficiencies and make aid work better for poor people. After all, as global citizens, we have a moral obligation to do the best we can to lift people out of poverty in the developing world. The findings of this book will be of considerable interest to professionals and policymakers engaged in policy reforms in foreign aid, and provide an essential one-stop reference for students of development, international finance, and economics.

Debates on the Measurement of Global Poverty

Sudhir Anand, Paul Segal, and Joseph E. Stiglitz — 2010-05-01

Author:: SudhirAnandProfessor of Economics, University of Oxford and Official Fellow of St Catherine's Collegehttp://www.stcatz.ox.ac.uk/staff/sudhir-anandPaulSegalResearch Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and a Junior Research Fellow at New College, Oxfordhttp://www.economics.ox.ac.uk/index.php/staff/segal/Joseph E.StiglitzUniversity Professor at Columbia Universityhttp://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/
ISBN:: 9780199558032
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558032.001.0001
Published in print:: 2010
Published Online:: 2010-05-01

The international community's commitment to halve global poverty by 2015 has been enshrined in the first Millennium Development Goal. How global poverty is measured is a critical element in assessing progress towards this goal, and different researchers have presented widely-varying estimates. The chapters in this volume address a range of problems in the measurement and estimation of global poverty, from a variety of viewpoints. Topics covered include the controversies surrounding the definition of a global poverty line; the use of purchasing power parity exchange rates to map the poverty line across countries; and the quality, and appropriate use, of data from national accounts and household surveys. Both official and independent estimates of global poverty have proved to be controversial, and this volume presents and analyses the lively debate that has ensued.

Uganda's Economic Reforms

2010-02-01

Author:: FlorenceKuteesaPublic Expenditure Management Consultant based in KampalaEmmanuelTumusiime-MutebileGovernor of the Bank of UgandaAlanWhitworthEconomic Adviser, DFID ZambiaTimWilliamsonIndependent economic consultant based in Kampala, and a Research Associate with the Overseas Development Institute, London
ISBN:: 9780199556229
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199556229.001.0001
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2010-02-01

Following fifteen years of Idi Amin, war and civil war, the Ugandan economy was in ruins by the time peace was restored in 1986. Since then Uganda has consistently been one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, leading to a substantial reduction in poverty. This book helps explain how this economic transformation was brought about. Uganda's success has arguably had more influence on development thinking and on the international aid architecture than any other country. The HIPC debt relief initiative, the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and the growth of budget support have all been strongly influenced by Ugandan experience and thinking, while Ugandan innovations such as poverty reduction strategies, public expenditure tracking surveys, and virtual poverty funds have been widely adopted elsewhere. Most of the reforms, that transformed the economy, originated inside the Ugandan government during the 1990s, rather than being imposed through donor conditionality. In this book, the architects of those reforms give their personal accounts of the thinking behind the reforms, how they were implemented, and their impact. Individual chapters cover reforms across the spectrum of central government economic policy and management, while Chapter 1 presents an overview and Chapter 2 the institutional and political background.

Industrial Policy and Development

Mario Cimoli, Giovanni Dosi, and Joseph E. Stiglitz — 2010-02-01

Author:: MarioCimoliProfessor of Economics, University of Venice, and Economic Affairs Officer, ECLAC, United NationsGiovanniDosiProfessor of Economics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisahttp://www.mbs.ac.uk/Research/academicdirectory/viewprofile.aspx?sid=7147818Joseph E.StiglitzUniversity Professor, Columbia Universityhttp://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/
ISBN:: 9780199235261
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199235261.001.0001
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2010-02-01

In the 1990s, development policy advocated by international financial institutions was influenced by the so-called Washington Consensus thinking. This strategy, based largely on liberalization, privatization, and price-flexibility, downplayed, if not disregarded, the role of government in steering the processes of technological learning and economic growth. With the exception of the Far East, many developing countries adopted the view that industrial policy resulted in inefficiency and poor economic growth. However, industrial policies have been successfully employed in the past in the countries that are now developed industrial leaders, including the USA, Germany, and Japan, and more recently by in what are now some of the most vibrant emerging markets. India, China, Brazil, and many NIE Asian countries nurtured technology intensive industries to jumpstart their production and (later) exports. They have had remarkable success not only in boosting economic growth, but also in diffusing the benefits of technological learning to the rest of the economy. The book analyzes the impact of an ensemble of industrial policies, including those affecting the accumulation of technological knowledge, institutions supporting scientific and technological learning, the profitability of different lines of business, the protection of “infant industries”, competition and intellectual property rights, and trade policies. Ample historical evidence, which the book explores, shows that industrial policies do work when appropriate combinations of measures are adopted. Well beyond a “market failure” perspective — whereby “perfect” markets are the purest benchmarks — institutions and policies embed both learning and non-learning behaviors, the construction of domestic learning organizations, national systems of production, imitation, and innovation. Together, the book discusses the opportunities and constraints facing the implementation of industrial policies associated with the current regime of international economic relations (WTO, TRIPs).

Global Compassion

Rachel M. McCleary — 2009-09-01

Author:: Rachel M. McCleary
ISBN:: 9780195371178
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195371178.001.1
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2009-09-01

This book examines how American foreign policy has shaped the relationship between international private voluntary organizations and the U.S. federal government. Private voluntary organizations (PVOs)—Americares Foundation, Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, CARE, World Vision, and Catholic Relief Services, to name just a few—perform a vital function. They are the expression of human caring overseas, a compassion that was formalized during World War II and has continued to grow since. Through the dispersing of foreign aid, the U.S. government has relied on agencies to carry out humanitarian and development activities overseas. Using a new data set on revenue (private, federal, and international) from 1939 to 2005, this book analyzes the nature of PVO financial dependence of the federal government and how U.S. foreign policy influences federal funding mechanisms for PVOs.

Finance, Development, and the IMF

James M. Boughton and Domenico Lombardi — 2009-09-01

Author:: James M.BoughtonHistorian of the International Monetary Fund and Assistant Director in the Policy Development and Review Department of the IMFDomenicoLombardiPresident, The Oxford Institute for Economic Policy (OXONIA)
ISBN:: 9780199239863
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Financial Economics, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199239863.001.0001
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2009-09-01

This book provides an assessment of the role of the International Monetary Fund in poor countries. In recent years, a large portion of the work of the IMF has focused on the economies of low-income countries by aiming to create conditions conducive to poverty reduction and stable economic growth. More than two fifths of the IMF's 185 members are low-income countries and many others have substantial pockets of poverty in their populations. Since economic development and the reduction of poverty are the most important economic challenges that these countries face, how can the IMF best help them? How can the imperative of macroeconomic and financial stability be reconciled with the requirements for sustained economic growth? This book brings together the research of leading economists, political scientists, and historians to suggest ways for the IMF to address these issues effectively.

Poverty Dynamics

Tony Addison, David Hulme, and Ravi Kanbur — 2009-05-01

Author:: TonyAddisonProfessor of Development Studies, University of Manchester & Executive Director, Brooks World Poverty Institutehttp://www.wider.unu.edu/aboutus/people/resident-researchers/en_GB/addison-tony/DavidHulmeProfessor of Development Studies, University of Manchesterhttp://staffprofiles.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/Profile.aspx?Id=david.hulme&curTab=1RaviKanburT. H. Lee Professor of World Affairs and Professor of Economics, Cornell Universityhttp://www.dyson.cornell.edu/people/profiles/kanbur.php
ISBN:: 9780199557547
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199557547.001.0001
Published in print:: 2009
Published Online:: 2009-05-01

The chapters in this book provide an examination of the concepts and methods that can be used to understand poverty dynamics. It does this from an interdisciplinary perspective and includes the work of anthropologists, economists, sociologists, and political scientists. The contributions included highlight the need to conceptualize poverty from a multidimensional perspective and promote Q-Squared research approaches, or those that combine quantitative and qualitative research. The first part of the book provides a review of the research on poverty dynamics in developing countries. Part two focuses on poverty measurement and assessment, and discusses the most recent work of world-leading poverty analysts. The third part focuses on frameworks for understanding poverty analysis that avoid measurement and instead utilize approaches based on social relations and structural analysis.

Arguments for a Better World: Essays in Honor of Amartya Sen, Volume 2

Kaushik Basu and Ravi Kanbur — 2009-05-01

Author:: KaushikBasuC. Marks Professor of International Studies and Professor of Economics and Director, Center for Analytic Economics, Cornell UniversityRaviKanburT.H. Lee Professor of World Affairs, Cornell Universityhttp://www.dyson.cornell.edu/people/profiles/kanbur.php
ISBN:: 9780199239979
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199239979.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2009-05-01

The year 2008 marks Amartya Sen's 75th birthday. Amartya has made deep and lasting contributions to the academic disciplines of economics, philosophy, and the social sciences more broadly. He has engaged in policy dialogue and public debate, advancing the cause of a human development focused policy agenda, and a tolerant and democratic polity. This argumentative Indian has made the case for the poorest of the poor, and for plurality in cultural perspective. It is not surprising that he has won the highest awards, ranging from the Nobel Prize in Economics to the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. This public recognition has gone hand in hand with the affection and admiration that Amartya's colleagues and students hold for him. This is the second book in a two-volume Festschrift for Amartya Sen. The chapters, from across a range of social science disciplines, are written by some of the world's leading thinkers. This second book covers the topics of human development and capabilities; gender and household; growth, poverty, and policy; and society, politics, and history. It is a fitting tribute to Sen's own contributions to the discourse on society, institutions and development.

Arguments for a Better World: Essays in Honor of Amartya Sen

Kaushik Basu and Ravi Kanbur — 2009-05-01

Author:: KaushikBasuC. Marks Professor of International Studies and Professor of Economics and Director, Center for Analytic Economics, Cornell UniversityRaviKanburT.H. Lee Professor of World Affairs, Cornell Universityhttp://www.dyson.cornell.edu/people/profiles/kanbur.php
ISBN:: 9780199239115
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199239115.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2009-05-01

The year 2008 marks Amartya Sen's 75th birthday. Amartya has made deep and lasting contributions to the academic disciplines of economics, philosophy, and more broadly the social sciences. He has engaged in policy dialogue and public debate, advancing the cause of a human development focused policy agenda, and a tolerant and democratic polity. This argumentative Indian has made the case for the poorest of the poor, and for plurality in cultural perspective. It is not surprising that he has won the highest awards, ranging from the Nobel Prize in Economics to the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. This public recognition has gone hand in hand with the affection and admiration that Amartya's colleagues and students hold for him. This is the first book in a two-volume Festschrift for Amartya Sen. The chapters, from across a range of social science disciplines, are written by some of the world's leading thinkers. This first book covers the topics of ethics, normative economics, and welfare; agency, aggregation, and social choice; poverty, capabilities, and measurement; and identity, collective action, and public economics. It is a fitting tribute to Sen's own contributions to the discourse on ethics, welfare and measurement.

Rebuilding War-Torn States

Graciana del Castillo — 2009-01-01

Author:: Graciana del Castillo
ISBN:: 9780199237739
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199237739.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2009-01-01

With the end of the Cold War, countries coming out of internal conflicts have embarked on a complex transition to peace. Violence must give way to public security. Political exclusion must cave in to the rule of law and participatory government. Former enemies must learn to live with each other and strive for national reconciliation. War-torn and mismanaged economies must reconstruct and provide a decent and licit living for their citizens. This book argues that because economic reconstruction takes place amid the constraints imposed by this multi-pronged transition, it is fundamentally different from normal development. In fact, the book attributes failures ranging from Afghanistan to Iraq, from Kosovo to several in Africa, to the development as usual approach followed. Rather, effective reconstruction is a development-plus challenge in which — in addition to the normal challenge of socio-economic development — countries need to carry out demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants into productive activities and other peace-related activities, which often have serious financial implications and involve tough choices. Peace will not last in countries that fail to address these issues. In fact, post-conflict countries have a fifty percent chance of reverting to war. The purpose of the book is to present the basic premises, lessons, best practices, and policy guidelines necessary to design an effective strategy for post-conflict economic reconstruction. Unless jobs are created and the political and security objectives of peacetime prevail at all times, peace will be ephemeral. Keeping the present course does not seem a viable option.

Personal Wealth from a Global Perspective

James B. Davies — 2009-01-01

Author:: James B.DaviesProfessor and RBC Financial Group Fellow, Department of Economics, University of Western Ontariohttp://economics.uwo.ca/faculty/davies/
ISBN:: 9780199548880
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548880.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2009-01-01

There is great media fascination in the activities and lifestyles of the super-rich. But personal wealth is also important for those of more modest means as a store of potential consumption, as a cushion against emergencies, and as collateral for business and investment loans. This book studies household assets and debts. It documents not only the level, distribution, and trend of wealth holdings in rich nations, but also addresses developing countries like China and India. The situation in Latin America and Africa is given attention along with the experiences of Russia and other transition countries. Components of household wealth like financial assets, land, and property are examined, as well as the gender division. Worldwide, it is estimated that the richest 2% own more than half of total global wealth, and that this elite group resides almost exclusively in North America, Western Europe, and rich Asia-Pacific countries.

The Global Environment, Natural Resources, and Economic Growth

Alfred Greiner and Willi Semmler — 2008-09-01

Author:: Alfred Greiner, Willi Semmler
ISBN:: 9780195328233
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328233.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2008-09-01

Recently, the public attention has turned toward the intricate interrelation between economic growth and global warming. This book focuses on this nexus but broadens the framework to study the issue. Growth is seen as global growth, which affects the global environment and climate change. Global growth, in particular high economic growth rates, implies a fast depletion of renewable and non-renewable resources. Thus, this book deals with the impact of the environment and the effect of the exhaustive use of natural resources on economic growth and welfare of market economies, as well as the reverse linkage. It is arranged in three parts: Part I of the book discusses the environment and growth. The role of environmental pollution is integrated into modern endogenous growth models and recently developed dynamic methods and techniques are used to derive appropriate abatement activities that policymakers can institute. Part II looks at global climate change using these same growth models. Here, too, direct and transparent policy implications are provided. More specifically, tax measures, such as a carbon tax, are favored over emission trading as instruments of mitigation policies. Part III evaluates the use and overuse of renewable and non-renewable resources in the context of a variety of dynamic models. This part of the book, in particular, considers the cases when resources interact as an ecological system and analyze issues of ownership of resources as well as policy measures to avoid the overuse of resources. In addition, not only intertemporal resource allocation but also the eminent issues relating to intertemporal inequities, as well as policy measures to overcome them, are discussed in each part of the book.

Food, Economics, and Health

Alok Bhargava — 2008-09-01

Author:: Alok Bhargava
ISBN:: 9780199269143
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199269143.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2008-09-01

This book provides a firm grounding in the concepts and issues across several disciplines including economics, nutrition, psychology and public health in the hope of improving the design of food policies in the developed and developing world. Using longitudinal (panel) data from India, Bangladesh, Kenya, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Pakistan, and extending the analytical framework used in economics and biomedical sciences to include multi-disciplinary analyses, this book shows how rigorous and thoughtful econometric and statistical analysis can improve understanding of the relationships between a number of socioeconomic, nutritional, and behavioural variables on a number of issues like cognitive development in children and labour productivity in the developing world. A chapter on the growing obesity epidemic is also included, highlighting the new set of problems facing not only developed but developing countries. The book also includes a glossary of technical terms.

The Changing Distribution of Earnings in OECD Countries

A.B. Atkinson — 2008-09-01

Author:: A.B. Atkinson
ISBN:: 9780199532438
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199532438.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2008-09-01

This book is about how much people earn and why the distribution of earnings has been changing over time. The gap between the top and bottom in the United States has widened significantly since 1980. Why has this happened? Is it due to new technologies? What is the role of globalization? Are there historical precedents? The book begins with the ‘race’ between technology and education, and shows that continuing technical progress does not necessarily imply a continuing rise in dispersion. It then examines the experience of twenty OECD countries over the 20th century, material presented in the form of twenty country case studies. The book breaks new ground in assembling data on the distribution of individual earnings covering much of the 20th century and drawing on a variety of under-exploited sources. The findings overturn a number of widely-held beliefs. It is not the earnings of the low paid that have been most affected by the recent changes; widening is largely due to what is happening at the top. The recent rise in earnings dispersion is not unprecedented, but should be seen as part of a longer-run history of successive compression and expansion of earnings differences.

The Washington Consensus Reconsidered

Narcís Serra and Joseph E. Stiglitz — 2008-05-01

Author:: NarcísSerraPresident of the CIDOB Foundation (Center for International Relations and Development Studies in Barcelona)http://www.cidob.org/en/cidob/organisationJoseph E.StiglitzCo-President, Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD), Columbia Universityhttp://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/
ISBN:: 9780199534081
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199534081.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2008-05-01

This book brings together many leading international figures in development studies, such as Jose Antonio Ocampo, Paul Krugman, Dani Rodrik, Joseph Stiglitz, Daniel Cohen, Olivier Blanchard, Deepak Nayyer, and John Williamson to reconsider and propose alternative development policies to the Washington Consensus. Covering a wide range of issues from macro-stabilization to trade and the future of global governance, this book makes a real contribution to this important and ongoing debate. The book begins by introducing the Washington Consensus, discussing how it was originally formulated, what it left out, and how it was later interpreted, and sets the stage for a formulation of a new development framework in the post-Washington Consensus era. It then goes on to analyze and offer differing perspectives and potential solutions to a number of key development issues, some which were addressed by the Washington Consensus and others which were not. The book concludes by looking toward formulating new policy frameworks and offers possible reforms to the current system of global governance.

The International Mobility of Talent

Andrés Solimano — 2008-05-01

Author:: AndrésSolimanoRegional Advisor, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC)
ISBN:: 9780199532605
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Subjects:: Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
DOI:: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199532605.001.0001
Published in print:: 2008
Published Online:: 2008-05-01

Entrepreneurs, technical experts, professionals, international students, writers, and artists are among the most highly mobile people in the global economy today. These talented elite often originate from developing countries and migrate to industrial economies. Many return home with new ideas, experiences, and capital useful for national development, whilst others remain to produce quality goods and services that are useful everywhere in the global economy. The economic potential of globalization is ultimately dependent on the international mobility of highly talented individuals that transfer knowledge, new technologies, ideas, business capacities, and other creative capabilities. Developing countries and advanced economies may gain from this mobility if it is effectively and smartly managed. This book, with contributions from international experts in the subject, provides an analysis of the main determinants and development impact of talent mobility in the global economy.