Growth is Good for the Poor

Abstract The world economy grew well during the 1990s, despite the financial crisis in East Asia. However, there is intense debate over the extent to which the poor benefit from this growth. The two quotes above exemplify the extremes in this debate. At one end of the spectrum are those who argue that the potential benefits of economic growth for the poor are undermined or even offset entirely by sharp increases in inequality that accompany growth. At the other end of the spectrum is the argument that liberal economic policies such as monetary and fiscal stability and open markets raise incomes of the poor and everyone else in society proportionately.