International Policy Rules and Inequality

An interdisciplinary group of prominent scholars scrutinizes how the rules of global economic governance—or the lack thereof—determine the extent and growth of inequality. With a focus on achievable reforms, this book offers concrete steps capable of counteracting inequitable wealth distribution and bringing about fairer economic growth.

Ocampo José Antonio :

José Antonio Ocampo is codirector of Banco de la Republica (Colombia’s central bank), professor in the School of International and Public Affairs (on leave for public service), and copresident of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia University. His books with Columbia University Press are Growth and Policy in Developing Countries: A Structuralist Approach (2009, coauthor), Development Cooperation in Times of Crisis (2012, coedited with José Antonio Alonso), and Too Little, Too Late: The Quest to Resolve Sovereign Debt Crises (2016, also coedited with Joseph E. Stiglitz), and The Welfare State Revisited (2018).José Antonio Ocampo is codirector of Banco de la República, Colombia’s central bank, as well as a professor in the School of International and Public Affairs (on leave for public service) and copresident of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia University. He formerly held a number of positions with the United Nations and the government of Colombia. His books with Columbia University Press include Too Little, Too Late: The Quest to Resolve Sovereign Debt Crises (2016) and The Welfare State Revisited (2018).

Martin Khor, advisor, Third World Network, and former executive director, South Centre:
Income and wealth inequalities are now back in the center of intense public debate on economic issues. Yet there is a gap in the discussion: the link between global structures and national inequalities. This book fills this vacuum admirably. It shows how various international agreements lead to income inequalities not only at the global level but also at the national and local levels. The book will be especially useful for political leaders and policy makers in developing countries, who often do not know the implications of the agreements they sign. It also provides useful suggestions on how to tackle this major problem.

Sanjay Reddy, the New School:
International Policy Rules and Inequality is a landmark volume. It diagnoses the ways in which present international rules or the lack of them cause increased inequalities within countries, and it proposes practical revisions that can enhance the bargaining power of the less advantaged, restore national sovereignty, and otherwise reverse this tendency.

Deepak Nayyar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi:
Existing structures of global economic governance–institutions and rules embedded in history–are inequitable. Such unfair rules produce unequal outcomes. This bold book, which challenges conventional wisdom, brings together engaging essays at the intersection of economics, politics, and law. It shows how these rules accentuate inequalities between and within countries. And it makes a most valuable contribution by suggesting reforms that are both desirable and feasible.