GROWTH, INEQUALITY, AND POVERTY by Anthony F. Shorrocks (Editor), Rolph van der Hoeven ( 9780199268658 )

Item Details

Title:

GROWTH, INEQUALITY, AND POVERTY
PROSPECTS FOR PRO-POOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

By:

Anthony F. Shorrocks (Editor), Rolph van der Hoeven

Format:

Hardback

List price:	£135.00
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ISBN 10:

0199268657

ISBN 13:

9780199268658

Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

4 March, 2004

Series:

WIDER Studies in Development Economics

Pages:

300

Description:

This is a collection of papers examining the pressing issue of increasing inequality in the distribution of income in developing countries. While economic growth is a prerequisite for a sustained reduction in poverty, policies aimed at raising growth rates are often associated with a range of adverse short term effects, including rising unemployment, greater economic insecurity, environmental degradation and the weakening of traditional social safety nets. Pro-poorgrowth strategies attempt to address these short term problems. But the ideal mix of policies, and their impact on the prospects for poverty reduction in the longer run, remain controversial topics. Growth, Inequality and Poverty comprises many of the most important contributions to the currentdebate.

Synopsis:

The relationship between growth, inequality, and poverty lies at the heart of development economics. This volume draws together many of the most important recent contributions to the controversies surrounding this topic. Some of the chapters help explain why there is profound disagreement on crucial issues of growth, poverty and inequality within academic circles, and among organizations and various groups active in the development field. Another central theme is the cross-country evidence on the relationship between growth and poverty, and the extent to which it is valid to draw policy conclusions from this empirical evidence. The volume also shows how new microeconomic techniques such as poverty maps and microsimulation models can be used to improve poverty analysis and the design of pro-poor policies. The overall conclusion points to the need for diverse strategies towards growth and poverty, rather than simple blanket policy rules. Initial conditions, specific country structures, and time horizons all play a significant role.Initial conditions affect the speed with which growth reduces poverty and can also determine whether policies such as trade liberalization have a pro-poor or an anti-poor outcome. Improved education is valuable in itself, and also contributes to poverty reduction; but its effect on inequality depends on supply and demand factors, which differ significantly across countries. Likewise, the quantitative impact on poverty of redistribution from the rich to the poor vis-a-vis an increase in total national income can vary greatly across countries. Hence the need for creative approaches to poverty which take full account of the specific circumstances of individual nations and which assign a central role to inequality analysis in the discussion of poverty-alleviation policies.

Illustrations:

Figures and tables

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Returns:

Non-returnable

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