Dissent on development

Peter Bauer, a development economist, gathers essays that question the prevailing assumptions about aiding poorer nations. The opening part looks at the basic concepts, methods and policy choices of the field. It tests the idea that poverty sustains itself in a closed loop and that the gap between rich and poor keeps growing. It also weighs central planning and foreign aid as tools for development, sets out Marxist-Leninist prescriptions for development policy, and critiques the proposals of UNCTAD. Bauer then asks what economics can really contribute to the study of underdeveloped countries and to technical assistance.

The middle section turns to particular regions of the developing world, surveying their economic experience and the official government policies that shaped it. The final section assesses the work of leading thinkers on development economics and policy, reviewing their arguments in turn.

The book suits readers interested in economic policy, international aid and the intellectual debates that shaped post-colonial development thinking.