Book
Perspectives on Growth and Poverty

The relationship between growth and poverty lies at the heart of development economics. While many see aggregate growth as both necessary and sufficient for reducing poverty, and consequently focus their efforts on achieving the desired macroeconomic outcomes, others stress that the benefits from growth may not be evenly spread. In fact critics of globalization often point out that growth of the macroeconomy may well have an adverse effect on the most vulnerable members of society. Thus the distributional impact of growth, as well as its level, needs to be taken into account when considering the consequences for poverty. The importance of this topic, and the continuing controversies surrounding it, prompted UNU/WIDER to organize a major academic conference on growth and poverty in May 2001. Its purpose was to review current thinking on the issue, to stimulate fresh research, and to allow researchers from various backgrounds to exchange ideas on future policy directions. Perspectives on Growth and Poverty contains an important selection of the conference papers. They deal with institutional and policy questions, as well as sectoral issues and individual country experiences that illustrate the broad range of objectives and topics. One set of conclusions to emerge is that initial conditions, institutions, specific country structures, and time horizons all play a significant role. The country- and context-specific nature of these factors point to the need for creative national solutions to the problem of poverty. This in turn requires an informed policy debate within countries: one which may hopefully lead to a consensus between different interest groups or at least help to clarify the basis of opposing views. The aim of this volume is to stimulate and enhance this debate.

Table of contents
  1. 1. Collective Values, Behavioural Norms, and Rules: Building Institutions for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction
    Ke-Young Chu
    More Working Paper | Collective Values, Behavioural Norms, and Rules
  2. 2. Institutional Capital and Poverty: A Transition Perspective
    Syed M. Ahsan
    More Working Paper | Institutional Framework and Poverty
  3. 3. Why is so Little Spent on Educating the Poor?
    Tony Addison, Aminur Rahman
    More Working Paper | Why is so Little Spent on Educating the Poor?
  4. 4. The Fragility of Empirical Links Between Inequality, Trade Liberalization, Growth and Poverty
    Jennifer Mbabazi, Oliver Morrissey, Chris Milner
    More Working Paper | Are Inequality and Trade Liberalization Influences on Growth and Poverty?
  5. 5. Convergence Clubs in Cross-Country Life Expectancy Dynamics
    David Mayer-Foulkes
    More Working Paper | Convergence Clubs in Cross-Country Life Expectancy Dynamics
  6. 6. Reaching the Poor: Fine Tuning Poverty Targeting Using a Poverty Map of Mozambique
    Orlando San Martin
    More Working Paper | Reaching the Poor
  7. 7. Poverty, Growth and Redistribution: A Case Study of Iran
    Ahmad Assadzadeh, Satya Paul
    More Working Paper | Poverty, Growth and Redistribution
  8. 8. How Economic Growth Reduces Poverty: A General Equilibrium Analysis for Indonesia
    George Fane, Peter Warr
    More Working Paper | How Economic Growth Reduces Poverty
  9. 9. Poverty, Inequality and Growth in Zambia During the 1990s
    Neil McCulloch, Bob Baulch, Milasoa Cherel-Robson
    More Working Paper | Poverty, Inequality and Growth in Zambia During the 1990s
  10. 10. Gender and Education as Determinants of Household Poverty in Nigeria
    Christiana E. E. Okojie
    More Working Paper | Gender and Education as Determinants of Household Poverty in Nigeria
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