The IMF and Economic Development / Edition 1

by James Raymond Vreeland

Overview

Why do governments turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and with what effects? In this book, James Vreeland examines this question by analyzing cross-national time-series data from throughout the world. Vreeland argues that governments enter into IMF programs for economic and political reasons, and he finds that the programs hurt economic growth and redistribute income upward. By bringing in the IMF, governments gain political leverage - via conditionality - to push through unpopular policies. For certain constituencies, these policies dampen the effects of bad economic performance by redistributing income. But IMF programs doubly hurt others who are less well off: They lower growth and exacerbate income inequality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521016957
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/03/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Sales rank:	740,818
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.59(d)

Table of Contents

List of tables and figures; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Analytically significant cases; 3. An analytical approach to the politics of IMF agreements; 4. Testing the selection story; 5. The effect of IMF programs on economic growth; 6. Distributional consequences of IMF programs; 7. Conclusion; Appendices; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"The most important book on the effects of programs on the economic growth experiences of developing countries." Perspective on Political Science

"This monograph by political scientist Vreeland should be of great interest to political scientists, international relations specialists, and economists. The book makes important contributions in its content and accessibility.... Highly recommended." Choice

From the Publisher