What is the record of policies aimed at reducing income disparities among regions within countries? Paradoxically, creating a level playing field helps disadvantaged regions more than do paternalistic protectionist policies

Many development policies, such as placement of infrastructure or local economic development schemes, are "place-based." Such policies are generally intended to stimulate private sector investment and economic growth in the treated place, and as such they are difficult to appraise and evaluate....

This chapter focuses on regional policies in developing countries. Diversity in the regional problems of developing countries and in the social and economic policies designed to alleviate these problems reflects not only different levels of development and the systems of government, but also...