Policy space in historical perspective with special reference to trade and industrial policies
- 2006
- p.627-33.
- 16 Feb
Long-range historical records suggest that the policy space a country possesses, exercise enormous influence on the ability to achieve economic development. Once the policy space started shrinking from the 1980s, the average growth rate of developing countries fell to half of what it was in the "bad old days" of import substitution. This shrinking space for developing countries is at risk of shrinking even further, to the point of making the use of any meaningful policy for economic development impossible. This paper argues that in order properly address the issue of policy space, we need to critically re-examine the principles that dominate international negotiations, especially in relation to trade and industrial policies. What pass in today's policy negotiation for the principles of a level playing field, special and differential treatment, less-than-full reciprocity, flexibility, and national autonomy are critically examined and their contradictions and limitations exposed. - Reproduced.