Media Contact:
Carrie Conko
Director of Communications
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Office: 703-993-4899
Email: cconko@gmu.edu
Trade and Aid: Searching for Solutions to Global Poverty
| Start: | Tuesday, May 17, 2005 |
| End: | Thursday, May 19, 2005 |
| Location: | B-340 Rayburn House Office Building |
Recently, efforts at alleviating global poverty have focused on lending to governments of developing countries in exchange for fiscal discipline and stable monetary policy. The effectiveness of this policy, however, is limited by domestic cultural institutions, corruption, and a lack of local knowledge. These problems, if ignored in policy prescriptions, can carry serious implications and may dramatically affect a developing country’s ability to prosper.
Given the complex mix of politics, economics, and culture, how can Congress develop policies that improve the welfare of developing nations? To help policymakers sort through these pressing concerns, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University presents a three-day course that will develop a framework for analyzing these problems. Participants will gain a greater understanding of questions such as:
- What political institutions stimulate or constrain economic development?
- What prevents some foreign aid from being effective? How can we make it more effective?
- How can countries attract investment and raise capital? What role does culture play in the process? What role do legal institutions play in the process?
- Should developed countries forgive third-world debt? What would be the consequences?
Course participants will leave with a framework for understanding the institutions and needs of developing nations, as well as the ability to identify policies that would encourage prosperity in the developing world.
Schedule:
Day One: Tuesday, May 15
An Economic Understanding of Global Poverty
Dr. Pete Boettke
Professor of Economics
George Mason University
Day Two: Wednesday, May 16
Why Development is a Pillar of US Foreign Policy
Dr. Jack Goldstone
Professor of Public Policy and Eminent Scholar
George Mason University
Day Three: Thursday, May 17
Legal Reform in Developing Countries
Dr. Todd Zywicki
Professor of Law
George Mason University School of Law
