The authors examine the empirical evidence in support of the poverty trap view of underdevelopment. They calibrate simple aggregate growth models in which poverty traps can arise due to either low saving or low technology at low levels of development. They then use these models to assess the...

Despite the satisfactory performance of several intensely adjusting sub-Saharan African countries - and successful results in agriculture and food production - the overall results of adjustment achieved in Africa have so far been modest. Adjustment has not yet succeeded in raising the rate of...

This paper presents empirical evidence pertaining to the"adding up problem"and the"fallacy of composition". It is shown that, rather than market constraint in the developed countries, export growth in the developing countries is largely determined by supply factors. Thus, the deceleration of...

Certain experts have expressed the view that developed country imports from developing countries have a tendency to increase less rapidly than their gross domestic product. Additionally, the view has been expressed that developed countries have raised their barriers to imports from developing...

The authors investigate the dynamics of poverty and income inequality in a cross-section of socio-economic groups and geographical regions over the five-year growth period following the 1994 devaluation of the CFA franc in Burkina Faso. Results show rapidly increasing urban poverty accompanied...

Although Tanzania experienced relatively rapid growth in per capita GDP in the 1995–2001 period, household budget survey (HBS) data show only a modest and statistically insignificant decline in poverty between 1992 and 2001. To assess the likely trajectory of poverty rates over the course of...

Since its transition to a market economy began, Russia has not attracted much foreign direct investment (FDI). Inflows of FDI into Russia are much lower than those into other transition countries in the region, adjusted for population size and similar measures. Clearly, if Russia is to grow it...

Poor-area development programs- in which the government transfers extra resources to unusually poor areas -have been widely used to fight poverty. There has been some research on such programs, but little is known about their impact on household living standards over time. The authors address...

Public provision of education has often been perceived as universal and egalitarian, but in reality it is not. Political pressure typically results in incidence bias in favor of the rich. The author argues that the bias in political influence resulting from extreme income inequalities is...

This paper contains abstracts of Policy Research working paper series, numbers 2803 - 2856.