Extracts
Introduction and core argument
In recent memory, a combination of pressure from below and enlightened leadership from above has produced some remarkable exercises in redistribution. In several East Asian countries, for example, elites have embraced the long-term case for equality, to prevent social division and to stoke a thriving economy.
Civil society and change
Many civil society organisations see themselves as ‘change agents’. Often their work is painstaking and almost invisible, supporting poor people as they organise to demand their rights.
Climate change
A dwindling band of economists still question whether the benefits of doing something about climate change justify the costs in terms of foregone growth and poverty reduction, taking the view that future costs and harm are much less important than current costs.
Are active citizens and effective states compatible?
The rise of strong states over the past two centuries is littered with famous names. These leaders inspired a sense of national pride and identity, but their fame seldom stemmed from their commitment to democracy.
Economic debates at the centers of power
Economics is a broad but divided discipline, comprising dozens of schools of thought covering almost every aspect of human existence and spanning the political and philosophical spectrum. However, this rich diversity of analysis and insight is seldom visible in the economic debates at the centres of power.
The future of small scale farming
High commodity prices, growing demand for biofuels, a possible shift to low-carbon agriculture, booming consumer demand in the cities and in the North for year-round supply, and growing markets for organic and Fairtrade products could all work in favour of small farmers in the coming years.
