Ch. 1: So Close and Yet So Different

[Robert Tulip]

The Perkins book, which I read a few years ago, is something of a polemic against the World Bank. The underlying question is the extent to which political corruption has influenced the Bank to make it act as an instrument of US imperial power rather than in the interests of the poor. Opinions on that question vary dramatically from the Perkins conspiracy theory view across to the Bank view of technocratic disinterested advice. It all illustrates how opinions on economic development have a large component of ideology.

Why Nations Fail also strikes me as having a strongly ideological agenda, although its positions are largely ones that I share as providing a useful and correct basis for development. The concern that I have in reading this book is understanding what we call in the trade its program logic, its theory of change.

A theory of change seeks to provide an empirically based explanation of how a current situation can be transformed into something different. A theory of change seeks to take into account all the evidence, motivations, reasons, risks, prejudices, constraints, resources, politics, culture, geography, incentives, stakeholders and relationships that need to be factored in if an intervention is to achieve the expected results.

Obviously, much aid has applied defective theories of change, because aid has not been the driver of poverty reduction that its advocates have expected. So Why Nations Fail is trying to address this failure, through its theory of the centrality of institutions.

My main concern regarding the ideological content is that the influence of geography and culture is dismissed too glibly. The risk in this dismissal is that the theory of change arising from this book will not properly take all factors into account, and that therefore policy decisions resulting from it will fail to address real barriers to development.

Perhaps the issue is that institutions are tractable, whereas geography and culture are not. But in that case, it is essential that a theory of institutional reform should be situated within a deep cultural analysis.

[Rachela24]

Well, let me begin by saying that this is my first book discussion experience. Second, let me emphasize that my background is primarily limited to science and education. I chose the book "Why Nations Fail" because I mostly enjoy non-fiction and I wanted to learn about a subject outside of my areas of expertise.

I am certainly aware of the inequalities that exist in locations along the Mexico - U.S. border, and I found the author's use of the two Nogales quite compelling. As I read through this chapter I began to understand why indigenous people would have such distrust for foreign ambassadors. I was appalled as I read about the greed and cruelty imposed on nativ people and leaders in South America.

heledd wrote:" It would make no difference to advise politicians to read this book as their primary purpose is to retain enough popularity to be reelected.". This comment resonated with me as I was thinking about the greed and cruelty that still exist in governments today, albeit to different degrees.

I look forward to chapter 2.

[Patricia Konarski]

Hi, I'm Patricia Konarski, a retired librarian, who is a lifelong book enthusiast. Under that capacity, I'd love to address the preface, "the one dominant among economists and policy pundits, is based on the notion that the rulers of Egypt simply don't know what is needed to make their country prosperous." I must say this about it: Let's be blunt, it's not just a leader's failure to grasp what is the best avenue of utilizing a country's riches for its people. The actual culprit of a nation's failure to be prosperous is a country leader's hands in the cookie jar, figuratively speaking. More often than not, a leader in an unsophisticated society will allow his vices to get the best of him and, for that matter, the country. As a result, policies that are beneficial for the greater good take a back seat while policies that have the biggest potential to fill the pockets of the leader take center stage. That's my 'two cents' on the topic and its relation to the book. If anyone wants to discuss this further, please e-mail: [email protected].

Patricia Konarski
--Freelance editor and owner of Patricia Konarski Literary Services of Tucson
(University background: I got my degree from UC Berkeley; I intend on going to the University of Arizona in Tucson to obtain my masters degree in English, with an emphasis in literature. The University of Arizona offers an excellent masters program. Of course, the UA also has a great basketball team--go UA!)
The Myspace Page of Patricia Konarski: http://myspace.com/patricia.konarski.tucson
The Facebook Page of the Tucson Book Social club, as founded by Patricia Konarski: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tucson-B ... 3000946719 (monthly gatherings take place in the immediate area of the University of Arizona campus)