Putting development first

The importance of policy space in the WTO and international financial institutions

Kevin Gallagher, Zed books, 320 pages, paperback, £18.95

This book examines how current economic forces and rules that govern the global economy are shrinking the space available for developing countries to construct policies to raise living standards for their people.

The contributors analyse the extent to which developing countries can manoeuvre while faced by a range of restricting factors such as the policies of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the rules of the World Trade Organisation and the weakening of democratic institutions and popular sovereignty under the pressures of globalisation.

Each chapter is broken down into explanatory sections suggesting policies that could strengthen developing countries, with examples of how orthodox economic policies have failed to deliver growth or reduce poverty.