Latin American Development Priorities
Costs and Benefits

Shows how limited resources could be used for the greatest benefit of the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Bjørn Lomborg (Edited by)

9780521766906, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 January 2010

724 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 3.5 cm, 1.25 kg

Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have achieved considerable economic growth, yet the region still faces many seemingly intractable problems. The conventional wisdom in development agencies - that prioritization is impossible and that everything must be done - is simply not effective. Latin American Development Priorities shows how limited resources could be used for the greatest benefit of the Latin American and Caribbean region. A panel of economists met over three days in San José to review proposals to tackle the ten most important challenges, which emerged from a survey by the Inter-American Development Bank. The expert panel was asked a question which appears simple but is actually very difficult to answer: What should Latin American governments do with an additional nominal $10 billion? Hard choices are needed if Latin America's problems are to be tackled effectively. This book provides the means to make those choices as objectively as possible.

List of figures
List of tables
List of contributors
Acknowledgements
Foreword Luis Alberto Moreno
Introduction Bjørn Lomborg
1. Democracy Mark P. Jones
2. Education Amy Damon and Paul Glewwe
2.1. Education - an alternative view Miguel Urquiola
3. Employment and social security Alejandro Cox Edwards
3.1. Employment and social security - an alternative view Adriana Kugler
4. Environment Roger Sedjo
4.1.Environment - an alternative view Randall A. Kramer
5. Fiscal problems Miguel Braun
5.1. Fiscal problems - an alternative view Max A. Alier and Benedict Clements
6. Health Philip Musgrove
6.1. Health - an alternative view William Savedoff
7. Infrastructure Julio A. Gonzalez, Jose Luis Guasch and Tomas Serebrisky
7.1. Infrastructure - an alternative view Ronald Fischer
8. Poverty Sebastian Galiani
8.1. Poverty - an alternative view Stephen Younger
9. Public administration Susan Rose Ackerman
9.1. Public administration - an alternative view Ugo Panizza
10. Violence and crime Mark A. Cohen and Mauricio Rubio
10.1. Violence and crime - an alternative view Andrew Morrison
Outcome
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Development economics & emerging economies [KCM]