Prosperity Versus Planning

David Osterfeld

Political scientist David Osterfeld challenges the prevalent interventionist model of economic development and proposes capitalism as an alternative. Osterfeld argues on both theoretical and empirical grounds that the most effective way to promote growth is to establish a wall of separation between government and the economy. Building on the work of Peter Bauer and Julian Simon, Osterfeld emphasizes the importance of the market as a vehicle for growth. He extends the concept of privatization to the Third World while showing that

• population growth is no barrier to prosperity and a healthy environment;
• agricultural land and food supplies are not being exhausted; and
• natural resources are becoming more abundant.

This is the ideal handbook on Third World development, focusing on such critical issues as foreign aid, the role of multinational corporations and foreign investment, migration, the impact of political corruption, and a host of other issues. Osterfeld's book is an important contribution to the continuing debate over poverty and population in the developing world. Published by Oxford University Press.

David Osterfeld teaches political science at St. Joseph's College in Indiana.

"A very original, readable textbook that introduces all the traditional topics in development economics in a way that students will find lively and interesting. Osterfeld's political economy framework, his discussions of important issues such as corruption, property rights, the environment, and the legal context, and the attention he pays to the key variables in development--food, resources, and population--also distinguished this book from most of the others in the field."
-Anil B. Deolalikar
University of Washington

1992/273pp./$19.95 paper ISBN: 0-19-507614-1

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