The Political Economy of Global Inequality: An Economic Historical Perspective

• Authors: Kalim Siddiqui

Title variants

PL

Polityka gospodarcza a globalne nierówności – perspektywa historyczna

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The aim of this paper is to evaluate how the economic gulf between advanced and less-developed countries might be narrowed by analysing the progress of their economies in historical perspective. It is an important question for the 21st century whether countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are capable of economic convergence with the West. To answer this question we need an understanding of both economics and history. It has often been argued that the international distribution of wealth between the rich (industrialised) and poor (primary producing) countries will be narrowed or closed as a result of a trickle-down process from the technologically-advanced countries to the poor countries. This paper analyses this claim using a quantitative methodology built on data from international institutions such as the OECD, IMF and World Bank. It finds that during the last three decades there have been huge economic changes globally: structural arrangements and patterns of trade have changed in both advanced and developing countries. However, while some developing countries have achieved faster growth rates than the advanced economies – particularly China, India, Indonesia, and Turkey – most developing countries have not been able to catch up with the economies of the developed world.

PL

Celem artykułu jest zbadanie możliwości zmniejszenia przepaści ekonomicznej między krajami zaawansowanymi a słabiej rozwiniętymi. Aby to osiągnąć, autor przeanalizował postępy ich gospodarek w ujęciu historycznym. Ważnym pytaniem w XXI w. jest to, czy kraje Azji, Afryki i Ameryki Łacińskiej są zdolne do konwergencji gospodarczej z Zachodem. Aby odpowiedzieć na to pytanie, musimy spojrzeć na ekonomię z perspektywy historycznej. W literaturze często twierdzono, że różnica w podziale bogactwa między krajami bogatymi (uprzemysłowionymi) a biednymi (będącymi pierwotnymi producentami) może zostać zmniejszona lub zlikwidowana w wyniku transferu zaawansowanych technologii z krajów bogatych do krajów biednych. W artykule przeanalizowano to twierdzenie z zastosowaniem metodologii ilościowej opartej na danych pochodzących z międzynarodowych instytucji, takich jak OECD, MFW i Bank Światowy. Okazuje się, że w ciągu ostatnich trzech dekad nastąpiły ogromne zmiany gospodarcze na całym świecie: ustalenia strukturalne i wzorce handlowe zmieniły się zarówno w krajach zaawansowanych, jak i rozwijających się. Mimo że niektóre kraje rozwijające się – szczególnie Chiny, Indie, Indonezja i Turcja – osiągnęły szybsze tempo wzrostu niż gospodarki rozwinięte, większości krajów rozwijających się nie udało się dogonić gospodarek rozwiniętego świata.

Keywords

EN

catching-up; convergence; neoliberalism; developed and developing countries; international trade

PL

nadrabianie zaległości; konwergencja; neoliberalizm; kraje rozwinięte i rozwijające się; handel międzynarodowy

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie
• Journal: Argumenta Oeconomica Cracoviensia
• Year: 2019
• Issue: 2(21)
• Pages: 11-42

Contributors

author

Kalim Siddiqui

• University of Huddersfield, The Business School, Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Queensgate, Huddersfield United Kingdom

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Identifiers

DOI

10.15678/AOC.2019.2101