This article examines the operation of the food subsidy system in Bangladesh from 1980 to 1995 using a political economy perspective. Two political economy concepts - rent-seeking lobbies and rent-seeking bureaucrats/agents - are found to be useful in providing a partial explanation of why this...

The European Union has emerged as one of the world's largest aid donors. However, its multilateral aid programme, while well-placed to set a new standard in development assistance, suffers from problems of democratic accountability confronting all transnational actors in an increasingly global...

Most economists will accept that high rates of accumulation have been a key factor in East Asian economic success. This contribution explores specifically the reasons for extremely high rates of corporate savings and investments achieved by these economies. It focuses on the private corporation,...

The article investigates per capita income convergence across Chinese provinces over the 1978-92 period. It confirms previous studies which find a reduction in inter-regional income inequality over the course of economic reforms. However, the rate of convergence has declined since 1985 as a...

Econometrics and Data Analysis for Developing Countries. By Chandan Mukherjee, Howard White and Marc Wuyts. London: Routledge, 1998. Pp.xviii + 496 (plus data diskette). £24.99 and £75. ISBN 0 415 09400 3 and 09399 6 Enterprise Clusters and Networks in Developing Countries. Edited by Meine...

The role of trust in facilitating economic growth has been highlighted in previous contributions to this journal. In order to take this debate forward, this article argues (1) that more attention needs to be given to the relationship between sanctions and trust, and (2) that it is worth...

How do competent bureaucracies emerge in developing countries? We examine bureaucratic reform in Korea and Taiwan and argue that in both cases political leaders had an interest in reforming the civil service to carry out their programmatic initiatives. In addition, both governments undertook...

This article explores the dynamics of property rights in irrigation water in Sonjo, Tanzania. It analyses an unsuccessful attempt by the ruling political group to change the institutional arrangements of water control, to serve better their private goals. This example shows that not all internal...

It is widely believed that the East Asian economies performed exceptionally well not only in generating growth but also in keeping inequality low. This study tries to answer the questions raised by the claims of exceptionality of income distribution in East Asia. Central findings are that only...

Democracy Without Equity: Failures of Reform in Brazil. By Kurt Weyland Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1996. Pp. xii + 293. $49.95 and $22.95. ISBN 0 8229 3924 X and 5583 0 Marketizing Education and Health in Developing Countries: Miracle or Mirage? Edited by Christopher...