Books by Pranab Bardhan
Pranab Bardhan is emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. He has done theoretical and field studies research on rural institutions in poor countries, on political economy of development policies, and on international trade. A part of his work is in the interdisciplinary area of economics, political science and social anthropology. He was chief editor of the Journal of Development Economics for 1985-2003. He was the co-chair of the MacArthur Foundation-funded Network on the Effects of Inequality on Economic Performance for 1996-2007. He held the Distinguished Fulbright Chair at the University of Siena, Italy in 2008-9 and was the BP Centennial Professor at London School of Economics in 2010 and 2011.
The Contested Commons
by Pranab Bardhan
Interdisciplinary work in the social sciences can be challenging. While similar in their research themes, the large variance in the history and methodology of the disciplines has often resulted in inconsistencies in the clarity and comprehension between subjects. The Contested Commons explores the theme of common resources from the perspective of two disciplines that are often considered to have the greatest disparity in the social sciences: Economics and Anthropology. Written by senior scholars in economics, anthropology, and sociology, this volume focuses on the methodological and epistemological approaches to the analysis of local common pool resources ndash; a topic that touches upon economic security, ecological sustainability, identity formation, and participatory decision-making - particularly in the developing world. The essays in this volume illustrate the wide variation in approaches to research itself, both across and within economics and anthropology.
Decentralization and Local Governance in Developing Countries
by Pranab Bardhan
Over the past three decades the developing world has seen increasing devolution of political and economic power to local governments. Decentralization is considered an important element of participatory democracy and, along with privatization and deregulation, represents a substantial reduction in the authority of national governments over economic policy. The contributors to Decentralization and Local Governance in Developing Countries examine this institutional transformation from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives, offering detailed case studies of decentralization in eight countries: Bolivia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Uganda.
Inequality, Cooperation, and Environmental Sustainability
by Pranab Bardhan
Would improving the economic, social, and political condition of the world's disadvantaged people slow--or accelerate--environmental degradation? In Inequality, Cooperation, and Environmental Sustainability, leading social scientists provide answers to this difficult question, using new research on the impact of inequality on environmental sustainability.
Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution
by Pranab Bardhan
Each of the essays in this volume is a gem. Together, they present a compelling case for the proposition that a more egalitarian domestic policy in the advanced economies is essential to a morally decent form of globalization. While globalization, in the form of greater openness in international trade, offers new opportunities for the world's poor, it also threatens wages for less advantaged workers in the advanced economies. Defending those wages will require new policies of social insurance and redistribution: an egalitarianism suited to a newly global economy. This is a large political challenge. But if the advanced economies continue on their current path and fail to meet this challenge, political opposition to globalization is likely to grow. If it does, we will see renewed trade barriers. And those barriers may have disastrous consequences for the world's poor. What we have is, in short, a powerful and original defense of global solidarity. (Joshua Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology )
Poverty, Agrarian Structure, and Political Economy in India
by Pranab Bardhan
This is a compendium of sixteen of Bardhan's well known works in the area of poverty and the political economy of India.
Scarcity, Conflicts and Cooperation
by Pranab Bardhan
This wide-ranging review of some of the major issues in development economics focuses on the role of economic and political institutions. Drawing on the latest findings in institutional economics and political economy, Pranab Bardhan, a leader in the field of development economics, offers a relatively nontechnical discussion of current thinking on these issues from the viewpoint of poor countries, synthesizing recent research and reflecting on where we stand today.
International Trade, Growth and Development
by Pranab Bardhan
This collection of essays draws from over thirty years of work by noted economist Pranab Bardhan to address the inter-related themes of international trade, growth, and rural development. Covering a wide range of important issues within the field, these essays describe theoretical and empirical perspectives on economic agents both at the micro and macro levels of the economy in development. Introductions to each of the book's three sections place the articles in perspective and relate them to current research.
Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay
by Pranab Bardhan
Bardhan's book is erudite, informative, and accessible, and his scrutiny of the conventional wisdom about the past quarter century of reform in China and India is always provocative. You do not have to agree with him to be stimulated and rewarded by his insightful scholarship. This book deserves a wide audience. (Tarun Khanna, author of "Billions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India Are Reshaping Their Futures, and Yours" )
Interviews with Pranab Bardhan
The best books on Economic Development, recommended by Pranab Bardhan
What is economic development? What does it take to make it happen? What can we learn from the days Britain was still a developing country? Eminent Indian economist, Pranab Bardhan, recommends the best books to better understand economic development.
