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The political economy of the World Bank : the early years / Michele Alacevich.
LIBRA HG3881.5.W57 A4213 2009
Available from offsite location
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Alacevich, Michele.
- Standardized Title:
- Origini della Banca mondiale. English
- Language:
- English
- Italian
- Subjects (All):
- World Bank--History.
- World Bank.
- History.
- Physical Description:
- xvi, 197 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Stanford, Calif. : Stanford Economics and Finance/Stanford University Press ; Washington, DC : World Bank, [2009]
- Summary:
- The Political Economy of the World Bank: The Early Years is a fascinating study of economic history. This text describes what is perhaps the most crucial time for development economics: the birth of the "third world," the creation of development economics as a discipline, and the establishment of the World Bank's role in development.
- Using previously unavailable archival material, Michele Alacevich takes a close look at the years during which the World Bank turned its attention from reconstruction to development. He describes the "Currie Mission" to Colombia-the World Bank's first general survey mission in a developing nation-as a starting point for analyzing the Bank's complex involvement in the economic and social development of poorer nations. His analysis also serves as a case study to help readers understand foundational questions about development that are of great relevance today.
- The Political Economy of the World Bank: The Early Years is essential reading for anyone interested in the economic history of international development as a lens for better understanding current development issues.
- Contents:
- 1 The World Bank And Development 1
- Historical Context 2
- Methodological Framework 3
- Pars Destruens 4
- Pars Construens 8
- 2 The Currie Mission In Colombia, 1949-1953 11
- The Importance of the Colombia Mission for the Switch from Reconstruction to Development 12
- End of the Reconstruction Phase 12
- Initial Contacts Between the Colombian Government and the IBRD 15
- The Collaboration Between Lauchlin Currie and the IBRD 22
- The Mission Collects Information 22
- Putting the Team Together 28
- The First IBRD General Survey Mission, Colombia 1949 35
- The Currie Mission Report 39
- The Comite de Desarrollo Economico (1950-1951) and the Consejo National de Planificacion (1952-1954) 46
- The Evolution of the Relationship Between Currie and the World Bank 50
- Tensions Within the Comite de Desarrollo Economico 50
- The Difficult Beginning of the Consejo National de Planificacion (1952-1953) 53
- The End of the Affair 61
- 3 Economic Development In Theory And Practice 64
- Development Approaches: Balanced Versus Unbalanced Growth 66
- Balanced Growth 67
- Unbalanced Growth 70
- Development Approaches: Program Loans Versus Project Loans 76
- Program Loans 77
- Project Loans 78
- The Debate on Development Reverberates Inside the IBRD 79
- Conflicting Approaches: Program Versus Project 79
- Program Versus Project: The Bank's Changing Attitude 80
- Autobiographical Notes 82
- Currie Versus Hirschman: Monetary and Fiscal Policy 83
- Analyzing the Situation 83
- Hypotheses 84
- The Clash 85
- Currie Versus Hirschman: Iron and Steel Production 87
- Analysis of the Currie Mission 87
- Interests at Odds 90
- The "Informe de la Mision Para el Comite" and the Flesher Solution 93
- Steel and Development: Reasons for Disagreement 98
- Changing Alliances 103
- Agreements and Disagreements 103
- A Sociological Interpretation of the Development Economics Debate: Robert K. Merton and the "Kindle Cole" Principle 105
- 4 At The Root Of The Bank's Policy Advice 112
- The Urban Development Plan for Barranquilla 114
- Request for IBRD Financing 114
- Why Did the Bank Refuse Financing? 118
- The IBRD and Housing Loans 120
- The ILO Proposal and the First IBRD Comments 120
- The Disengagement of the IBRD 122
- Discussions at the Bank: Impact Loans and Social Loans 123
- Impact Loans 123
- Social Loans 127
- The Bank's Relentless Preference for Directly Productive Loans 129
- Raising Funds in the U.S. Capital Market 130
- Wall Street Men 131
- U.S. Foreign Economic Policy and the Wane of the New Deal 133
- The Early Successes of the Bank: An Obstacle to Change 136
- Coda: The End of the Debate 136
- The Reorganization of 1952 136
- Black's Bank 144
- Conclusions 147.
- Notes:
- Translation of: Le origini della Banca mondiale, c2007.
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-193) and index.
- ISBN:
- 9780804760652
- 0804760659
- 9780804760669
- 0804760667
- OCLC:
- 257556027
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