Skip to main content
Log in

Economic reform: Political environment and the efficacy of economic conditionalities

  • Published:
Open Economies Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a public choice model that consists of a special interest group that benefits from distortionary economic policies, the general public who suffers from such policies, and a government that implements these policies. The paper examines how these actors respond to externally imposed conditions that force the government either to implement economic reforms or face the loss of outside assistance. Depending on the domestic political environment, the imposition of economic conditionalities may prove effective, unnecessary, or even counterproductive.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bhagwati, J. (1991) In D. Irwin (ed),Political Economy and International Economics, Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brock, W. and S. Magee (1980) “Tariff Formation in a democracy.” In J. Black and B. Hindley (eds),Current Issues in Commercial Policy and Diplomacy, New York: St. Martin's Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Debreu, G. (1952) “A Social Equilibrium Existence Theorem,”Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 40, 588–592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eberstadt, Nicholas (1988)Foreign Aid and American Purpose. American Enterprise Institute.

  • Grindle, M. (1991) “The New Political Economy: Positive Economics and Negative Politics.” In Gerald M. Meier, (ed),Politics and Policy Making in Developing Countries. ICS Press, pp. 41–68.

  • Mayer, W. (1987) “Endogenous Tariff Formation,”American Economic Review 74, 970–985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, M. (1965)The Logic of Collective Action, Combridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peltzman, S. (1973) “Toward a More General Theory of Regulations,”Journal of Law and Economics 19; 211–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddell, R. (1987)Foreign Aid Reconsidered. John Hopkins University Press.

  • Rodrik, D. (1992) “The Limits of Trade Policy Reform in Developing Countries,”Journal of Economic Perspectives 6(1), 87–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwalbenberg, H. (1988) “Neoclassical Political Economy Models of Trade and Development,” Ph.D. diss., Columbia University.

  • World Bank (1989),Strengthening Trade Policy Reforms, vol. II. Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, R. (1993)Dollars, Diplomacy and Dependency: Dilemmas of U.S. Economic Aid. Lynne Reinner Publishers.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schwalbenberg, H.M. Economic reform: Political environment and the efficacy of economic conditionalities. Open economies review 5, 203–210 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01000488

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01000488

Key words

Navigation