Government Failures in Development

By the 1970s and early 1980s, governments in most developing countries were mired down in economic policies that were manifestly unworkable. Whether market failures had been present or not, most knowledgeable observers concluded that there had been colossal government failures. In many countries, th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of economic perspectives 1990-07, Vol.4 (3), p.9-23
Main Author: Krueger, Anne O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cost control
Developing countries
Development economics
Economic activity
Economic development
Economic policy
Failure
Government
Government bureaucracy
Government failure
Government intervention
Government policy
Income distribution
LDCs
Licenses
Manufacturing
Market failure
Marketing
Public sector
Public sector industries
Standard of living
Subsidies
Symposia: The State and Economic Development
Value added
Wage & price controls
World Bank
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Summary:By the 1970s and early 1980s, governments in most developing countries were mired down in economic policies that were manifestly unworkable. Whether market failures had been present or not, most knowledgeable observers concluded that there had been colossal government failures. In many countries, there could be little question but that government failure significantly outweighed market failure. This essay focuses on insights relating directly to government behavior affecting economic activity and economic growth in developing countries. It briefly examines each of the following questions: 1) What is “the government”? 2) What is the comparative advantage of government? 3) What are the dynamics of government intervention? 4) Can a positive theory of political behavior be formulated that will help explain when and how alternative policies will evolve in the political arena?
ISSN:0895-3309
1944-7965
DOI:10.1257/jep.4.3.9