The ‘Resource Curse’: Theory and Evidence (ARI)
Mineral and fuel abundance does not determine either the political or economic trajectory of less developed countries.
Mineral and fuel abundance does not determine either the political or economic trajectory of less developed countries.
This ARI addresses the analytical and empirical links between resource extraction, governance and development, with a focus on the resource-curse thesis. The rent curse is rooted in policy failure, which the theory of rent cycling attributes to the impact of rent on elite incentives and also on development trajectory. The paper provides some examples of conditions that have facilitated this process in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The media, analysts and markets have focused a great deal of attention on the consolidation of Brazil as an emerging power, mainly in the economic and global governance spheres. However, there is little information and few studies on cooperation as an instrument of Brazilian foreign policy or on Brazil’s role in the new architecture of aid, despite its increasing presence in Africa and its leading role in debates on international development.
The incipient currency war could lead to a protectionist escalation that would hinder the global economic recovery. This paper analyses the various angles of the currency war and possible ways of resolving it.
The promotion of ‘good governance’ has become one of the pillars of development policies proposed by a large majority of development aid agencies. It is based on the view that ‘good governance’ is a pre-requisite for development. The author critically reviews the relationship between governance, growth and development and draws implications that are relevant for Sub-Saharan African countries.
The EU’s ‘Global Governance’ and China’s ‘Harmonious World’ seem to be competing to be the dominant idea on international relations in the new century.
The review meeting on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that will take place in September 2010 in New York is likely to focus on the usual troika of growth, aid and governance. This paper argues that in order to accelerate the course of MDGs, the discourse at the September meeting should be radically different.
India has increasingly sought to expand its activities as a donor, both to reposition itself as an emerging power and to use aid as an instrument for engaging with other developing countries. This ARI looks at the current state of India’s donor programme as regards both its size and scope, identifies India’s role within the multilateral aid scenario and evaluates the challenges and prospects for further growth.
This ARI examines how the economic crisis in Greece has come hand in hand with a crisis of political representation that makes it difficult to implement austerity measures.
The tenth anniversary of the creation of the euro coincided with the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. And it did so amid uncertainty over the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Its entry into force will allow for some improvements, such as greater economic coordination, but some of its weaknesses will remain. Despite this, as a whole the eurozone will probably emerge strengthened from the crisis.
As things now stand, for the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) the euro poses no threat to the US dollar from a material standpoint. However, as far as ideas are concerned, there has in fact been a change in the status quo of the international monetary system.
Protectionism has returned, reversing an almost three-decade trend of trade liberalisation.