In 1960, there were 101 middle-income countries. By 2008, only thirteen of these had become high-income countries. Why do so many middle-income countries fail to develop after a promising start, becoming mired in the so-called middle-income trap? This interdisciplinary volume addresses the...

Preface: whom is this book for? -- Acknowledgments -- Overview: what is economic development and what does this book say about it? -- Governments : one day, they will work for you -- Economic policy : the basics you¿ve got to get right -- Social policy : old war, new weapons -- Inclusion :...

The article provides a broad-based overview on competing development strategies and the economic performance of developing countries, mainly since the year 2000. Four traditional mainstream development strategies are discussed (Washington Consensus, neo-liberalism, "good governance" and MDGs)...