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The Political Economy of Poverty, Equity, and Growth: A Comparative Study

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This an important book for international political economists, who today are focussed on poor nations' "failure to develop," and the persistence of poverty. Lal and Myint have gathered the results of studies of 16 poor countries. The studies were designed by the World Bank, and focussed on the question of whether successful growth reduces poverty or leaves the poor behind. An encouraging finding, summarized in Chapter 10, is that successful economic growth does improve the welfare of the poor, and the failure of economic growth deepens poverty. Other findings related to income inequality, social welfare spending, and social safety-nets are drawn from the 16 studies. The findings give a solid base from which to debate left-right policy positions on poverty elimination. The data and detail in this book make it ideal for an international political economy classroom, but perhaps not for the casual reader.