Policy Complementarities and the Washington Consensus


Book Description

While economists continue to debate whether particular economic policies, such as those referred to in Willliamson’s (1993) “Washington Consensus,” can spur growth in developing countries, this paper demonstrates that it is combinations of policies that are more critical for growth. Policy complementarity refers to the mutually reinforcing benefits of policies that create an environment that is conducive to investment and growth. Quantitative measures of policy complementarity are developed, and the study shows empirically, through both an outcomes-based probability framework and a standard regression analysis, that these complementarities are significant and robust in explaining growth outcomes over the period 1985–95.




Economic Growth in the 1990s


Book Description

This report was prepared by a team led by Roberto Zagha, under the general direction of Gobind Nankani.




Fiscal Policy and Long-Term Growth


Book Description

This paper explores how fiscal policy can affect medium- to long-term growth. It identifies the main channels through which fiscal policy can influence growth and distills practical lessons for policymakers. The particular mix of policy measures, however, will depend on country-specific conditions, capacities, and preferences. The paper draws on the Fund’s extensive technical assistance on fiscal reforms as well as several analytical studies, including a novel approach for country studies, a statistical analysis of growth accelerations following fiscal reforms, and simulations of an endogenous growth model.




Beyond the Washington Consensus


Book Description

This report examines the precise nature of the required institutional reforms needed to achieve higher sustained rates of growth and to make a dent in poverty reduction and provides a framework for their design and implementation. The more modest objective is to examine how the concepts of the new institutional economics are useful for analyzing and designing institutions and to evaluate how political economy concepts can be used to develop strategies for implementing institutional reforms. Employing some of these concepts, the report demonstrates that sound institutional reform can be technically and politically viable in the following key sectors: banking; capital markets and legal institutions; educational institutions; judicial reforms; and public administration.




The Palgrave Handbook of Comparative Economics


Book Description

This book aims to define comparative economics and to illustrate the breadth and depth of its contribution. It starts with an historiography of the field, arguing for a continued legacy of comparative economic systems, which compared socialism and capitalism, a field which some argued should have been replaced by institutional economics after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The process of transition to market capitalism is reviewed, and itself exemplifies a new combination of comparative analysis with a focus on institutional development. Going beyond, chapters broadening the application of comparative analysis and applying it to new issues and approaches, including the role and definition of institutions, subjective wellbeing, inequality, populism, demography, and novel methodologies. Overall, comparative economics has evolved in the past 30 years, and remains a powerful approach for analyzing important issues.




Handbook on Development Policy and Management


Book Description

'. . . this is a book one would expect to find in all libraries and on all development studies reading lists.' – John Hailey, Journal of International Development '. . . the Handbook is a unique reference tool on international development policy and management. Its format, both comprehensive in coverage and concise in content, will make it essential reading for the growing number of postgraduates studying development policy and management, as well as for public administration, foreign consultants and aid workers in low- and middle-income countries.' – Andrew Nickson, Public Administration 'This Handbook will surely prove to be an essential to the students, practitioners and others concerned with improvement of human condition in developing countries.' – Pundarik Mukhopadhaya, The Singapore Economic Review '. . . this Handbook offers a significant remedy to the scarcity of material in this important area. . . It is certainly very near the top of this reviewer's list of recommended reading for students, researchers and practitioners concerned with development policy.' – Michael Tribe, Development Policy Review '. . . the Handbook offers an excellent one volume survey of modern development policy and practice in poor countries.' – Tony Jackson, The Journal of the Institution of Economic Development 'This comprehensive collection contains an excellent introduction to all the major issues of development policy.' – Frances Stewart, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, UK This important Handbook on international development policy and management covers a broad spectrum of contemporary topics across all the major areas of interest. With over 40 chapters, the book comprehensively explores the many themes and issues of significance for both policy and implementation, and provides easily accessible reference material on current practice and research. The 42 contributors come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and enjoy international reputations in their chosen fields. The Handbook is organised in two parts, one dealing with policy issues and the other with implementation and management issues. The first part, on policy, covers a wide range of economic, social and environmental topics. The second part explores the political context of implementation and development practice and goes on to cover a range of issues relating to management in the public and non-state sectors and the management of development projects. Each individual chapter provides background information on theory and practice, describes the current 'state of play', examines prospects for the future and includes an annotated guide to further reading. This extensive handbook will become an essential reference on international development policy and management. Although primarily designed for postgraduate students and scholars of development studies, it will also be welcomed by development practitioners, NGOs and aid agencies.




Transition and Economics


Book Description

The transition from socialism to capitalism in former socialist economies has transformed the economic structure. This book provides an overview of research on the issues raised by the shift from collective to private ownership.




Local Content Policies in Resource-rich Countries


Book Description

This book analyses the role of local content (LC) policy in the economic development of five resource-rich countries: Brazil, Kazakhstan, Norway, Russia and the UK. The authors situate LC policy within a framework of sustainability in the form of industrial diversification and innovation-led growth, and examine how effective LC policies are in facilitating sectoral and economy-wide catching up. Structured in five chapters, the book begins with an introduction and then presents an overview of LC definitions and situates LC policies within a framework of economic development. The third chapter compares specific examples of LC development and highlights variations in practice as well as learning across case countries. The fourth chapter focuses on macro-economic, micro-economic and institutional challenges conditioning LC development and the ability of LC policies to assist innovation-led growth. The authors conclude by examining what the future holds for LC policies and their role in promoting economic growth and addressing the wider social, political and economic challenges in resource-rich countries.




A Decade of Transition


Book Description

This volume reviews the experience of 25 non-Asian transition economies 10 years into their transformation to market economies. The volume is based on an IMF conference held in February 1999 in Washington, D.C., to take stock of the achievements and the challenges of transition in the context of three questions: How far has transition progressed ineach country? What factors explain the differences in the progress made? And what remains to be done?




International Handbook on Privatization


Book Description

Privatization has dominated industrial restructuring programs since the 1980s and continues to do so. This authoritative and accessible Handbook considers all aspects of this key issue, including: the theory of privatization; privatization in transition, developed and developing economies; as well the economic regulation of privatized industries.