Imagine There's No Country: Poverty, Inequality, and Growth in the Era of Globalization / Edition 1

by Surjit Bhalla

Overview

A new era of globalization, which began in the 1980s, brought about a significant decline in costs of transportation, communication, and production; considerably improved intercountry competitiveness; and broke down trade and cultural barriers among countries. The concept of a sovereign nation has been increasingly questioned in recent years. Some, indeed, have imagined a world without boundaries, without countries. Others who doubt the benefits of globalization have called for increased protectionism and greater regulation of economic activity. Has globalization made the world grow faster? Has poverty declined at a faster pace during globalization? If yes, why? If not, is it because the growth rate was lower, or because inequality worsened, or both? Who gained from globalization? Was it the elite in both the developed and developing world? What about the middle class? Who are they? How did they benefit from (or lose to) the forces of globalization?

This comprehensive study firmly debunks several popular myths such as the belief that globalization has resulted in lower overall growth rates for poor countries, increasing world inequality, and stagnating poverty levels. Through rigorous, integrated methodologies and an enhanced dataset, the author, Surjit Bhalla, answers some of the most pressing policy issues confronting us today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780881323481
Publisher:	Peterson Institute for International Economics
Publication date:	09/24/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Surjit S. Bhalla is managing director of Oxus Research and Investments, a New Delhi-based economic research, asset management, and emerging-markets advisory firm. He taught at the Delhi School of Economics and worked at the Rand Corporation, the Brookings Institution, and at both the research and treasury departments of the World Bank. He has also worked at Goldman Sachs (1992–94) and Deutsche Bank (1994–96). He is author of Devaluing to Prosperity: Misaligned Currencies and Their Growth Consequences (2012).

Editorial Reviews

A brilliant new book.

The Times of India

This book challenges the conventional contention that the world in recent years has experienced both increased poverty and increased inequality, attributed by some to integration of nations into the world economy.

Foreign Affairs

Bhalla rubbishes poverty estimates made by the World Bank and the Indian government to come up with dramatic findings that could shake up global development policy.

Outlook Magazine - Sandipan Deb