Location: Home » Wine Books » Subjects » Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States

The Oenophile Network Blog & Forum Links

Wine Blog
Wine Forum

Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States

enlarge

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: EBooks

List Price: ~~$26.95~~
Buy New: $21.56
You Save: $5.39 (20%)

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

2 reviews
Sales Rank: 8760

Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336

Dewey Decimal Number: 338.98
ASIN: B001CD65GC

Publication Date: August 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Similar Items:

•	A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
In 1700, Latin America and British North America were roughly equal in economic terms. Yet over the next three centuries, the United States gradually pulled away, and today the gap is huge. Why did this happen? Was it culture? Geography? Economic policies? Natural resources? Differences in political development? The question has occupied policymakers and scholars for decades, and the debate remains intense.
In Falling Behind, Francis Fukuyama, acclaimed author of The End of History and America at the Crossroads, gathers together some of the world's leading scholars on the subject to explain the nature of the gap and how it came to be. Tracing the histories of development over the past four hundred years and focusing in particular on the policies of the last fifty years, the contributors conclude that while many factors are important, economic policies and weak institutions are at the root of the divide. Interestingly, while the gap is deeply rooted in history, they show that there have been times when it narrowed as a consequence of policy choices in nations such as Chile, Mexico, and Brazil, and that there has been genuine institutional reform across the region. Bringing to light these policy success stories, Fukuyama and the contributors lay out a path for Latin American nations so that they can improve their prospects for economic growth and stable political development.
Given that so many attribute the gap to either vast cultural differences or the consequences of U.S. economic domination, Falling Behind is sure to stir debate. And, given the importance of the subject in light of economic globalization and the immigration debate, its expansive, in-depth portrait of the hemisphere's development will be a welcome addition to the conversation.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

Thoughtful Essays about Factors Affecting Economic Performance in Latin America September 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Falling Behind contains nine excellent essays exploring different aspects of why Latin America and the United States have different income levels. The key points in those nine essays are nicely summarized in Francis Fukuyama's conclusion, the tenth essay. The authors were well chosen to reflect both Latin American and U.S. perspectives.

I found that some of the arguments were more persuasive than others, especially the time series work that showed much of the loss of relative economic performance occurring during the time when Latin American countries were establishing their governments. That evidence seemed to be the smoking gun that shows that economic development requires stable, effective government.

Of equal interest were the investigations of the factors that don't seem to explain the differences, including religious culture, tropical climate, and disease.

The book is short on prescriptions. But Latin America seems likely to profit from improved government policies for economic development, better educational results, more inclusive two-party politics in democracies, improving security of property rights, making entrepreneurship easier, and avoiding regime changes.

Historical data make it hard to test everything, but I did wonder if geography might not have played a bigger role in falling behind the United States than this book suggests. A lot of the economic development of the U.S. in the early industrial revolution depended on having lots of cotton growing and the raw materials to make steel-based goods that could be inexpensively shipped across the North Atlantic to Europe. Latin America mostly lacked those same resources and access to the European markets at the same time.

I'm sure the debate over what went wrong in Latin America will continue as long as Latin America's prosperity lags behind the United States. It's a subject well worth considering to provide guidance for other developing regions, especially in Africa.

4 out of 5 stars

He never falls short August 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Great writter amazing book,
You go thru this book as he was talking to you.
I have read most of his books and he always keeps amazing me,amazing knowleadge, great writter.

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

Customer Service

Contact Customer Service
Ordering
Tracking Your Package
Shipping Information
Domestic Shipping Rates
International Shipping Rates
Returns
Gifts & Gift Certificates
Privacy & Security

Subcategories

•	Arts & Photography
•	Biographies & Memoirs
•	Business & Investing
•	Children's Books
•	Comics & Graphic Novels
•	Computers & Internet
•	Cooking, Food & Wine
•	Entertainment
•	Gay & Lesbian
•	Health, Mind & Body
•	History
•	Home & Garden
•	Law
•	Literature & Fiction
•	Medicine
•	Mystery & Thrillers
•	Nonfiction
•	Outdoors & Nature
•	Parenting & Families
•	Professional & Technical
•	Reference
•	Religion & Spirituality
•	Romance
•	Science
•	Science Fiction & Fantasy
•	Sports
•	Teens
•	Travel

Untitled Document Disclaimer: This is an Amazon storefront - the products referenced on this site are manufactured and sold by parties other than the Oenophile Network. The Oenophile Network makes no representations regarding either the products or any information vendors offer about their products. Any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the products must be directed to the appropriate manufacturer or vendor, or to Amazon.com.