In The News

India’s Forgotten Farmers

Tarun Khanna March 7, 2008
Can India’s burgeoning economy lead to prosperity for all of its citizens, urban and rural alike? Thus far, India’s economic growth has been concentrated almost exclusively in urban centers, while rural areas remain largely mired in appalling poverty. Since 70 percent of India’s population lives in rural communities, the vast majority of Indians find themselves cut off from their nation’s...

Dying to Live

Gihan Shahine March 7, 2008
Many young throughout Africa set out on dangerous journeys north, searching for jobs in Europe. Some send back what seem like vast sums to their villages while others eventually return, building homes and sending their children to school. But some men never return or make contact, and their families are left to wonder whether the jobseekers died in the rough seas or wait in European holding camps...

Can the World Afford a Middle Class?

Moisés Naím February 28, 2008
Population adds pressure not only to the global environment, but also for societies and economies. Sustained growth in developing nations like China and India rapidly lifts people from poverty and the world must adjust, warns Moisés Naím, editor in chief of Foreign Policy. A growing middle class around the world is already increasing demand for meat, milk and other foods, thus increasing the...

Developing Countries Worse Off Than Once Thought – Part II

Devesh Kapur February 13, 2008
High growth rates in an emerging economy can mask persistent and devastating poverty. A major goal for global institutions like the World Bank is reducing poverty by extending technological and financial assistance to developing nations. But targeted programs that flounder due to corruption or lack of local support, as well as those that cannot be replicated to serve a broader population, are not...

Happy Families

February 13, 2008
Bolsa Família, or the Family Fund, pays a benefit to mothers with low earnings, provided they send their children to school, show up for vaccinations and meet some other conditions. The program began in Mexico and quickly spread as far as Brazil, Eastern Europe and New York City as a way to allow children escape poverty. The program boosts the economy, with education building a skilled work force...

Why Bill Gates Hates My Book

William R. Easterly February 12, 2008
The economic system of capitalism certainly creates pools of wealth, and economists, corporate leaders and others debate how to distribute such pools to aid the world’s poor. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft who has since moved into philanthropy that funds basic education and health services in developing nations, argues for “creative capitalism,” by raising recognition of corporate...

Developing Countries Worse Off Than Once Thought – Part I

Branko Milanovic February 11, 2008
Reducing poverty has long been a goal for leaders, both national and international. Undertaking the task requires an understanding of the nature of poverty and its specific locations as well as programs that target economic and cultural causes, suggests this two-part series. The first article in the series, by economist Branko Milanovic, explains how detailed reports on prices throughout the...