Political Economy and the Aid Industry in Asia [Hardcover]

Adopting a distinctive structural political economy approach, this book uniquely explains the blind spots of alternative political economy approaches to international aid, and presents an original framework for evaluating likely reformers' strength of commitment and potential alliances with donors.1. Introduction PART I: DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND THE REALITY OF POLITICS 2. Realities of Political Economy: The Elephant in the Room 3. Development Agencies and the Political Economy Turn 4. Development as Collective Action Problems PART II: APPLYING STRUCTURAL POLITICAL ECONOMY 5. Understanding the Development Problem 6. Analysing Reform and Reformers 7. Working Politically: Understanding Alliances 8. Conclusion: The Road to Nowhere?

Book is about how particular understandings of political economy have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the unintended outcomes and counter-productive consequences of development efforts and, crucially, what can and should be done instead. It is excellent and, I think, should be read widely by development practitioners and international development scholars alike, as well as by those with a more general interest in developing political strategies that seek to challenge and transform existing sets of power relations. (Stephen Bates, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Vol. 46 (1), 2016)

Jane Hutchison is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies and a Fellow of the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University, Australia. Her research interests include the politics of labour and urban land reform in the Philippines, and she was an Oxfam Australia Board member from 2004 to 2014.

Wil Hout is Professor of Governance and International Political Economy at the International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His research interests relate to international relations, the politics of development, international development assistance and issues of ('gls