March 17, 2008 | Volume 5, Issue 1

Economic Policy in Bolivia: Lessons from the "Water War"

by Phillip McKissick

The 2000 Water War in Cochabamba represents the first significant response by the Bolivian citizenry to the malignant effects of global economic policies. It also marks the emergence of new social groups to represent the interests of Bolivians on a broad scale. In addition, the Water War should be seen as a turning point in contemporary Bolivian social and economic history. The emergence of new political actors on the national scene, as well as heightened protests in redress of social and economic ills, are two of the most important phenomena to have emerged in the 2000s; both must be seen in the light of the events of Cochabamba.

A New Model

Minority Business Development in Pittsburgh

by Robert Jordan

The new dimension of performance for the Greater Pittsburgh area is minority business development. For many years, Western Pennsylvania’s reputation has been clouded by its inability to broaden economic plans and strategies with the influence of qualified minorities. In an effort to fully examine this argument, I have drawn perspectives from Pittsburgh employees, financial institutions, the social atmosphere, and the understanding I bring as a minority business owner. I find that community-based development groups’ most pressing issue is cash flow, and that streamlining the flow of money into MWBE businesses through the expansion of minority financial institutions is the key to success.

From the Archive

Foreign Investment, Development, and Globalization: Can Costa Rica Become Ireland?

Eva Paus, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005

by Alexis Lozada

Along with international trade and financial flows, an explosive growth of foreign direct investment (FDI) has characterized the process of globalization occurring since the late twentieth century. Although most of the FDI goes to the developed economies, many books have been written about the effects of FDI on developing countries. Findings have ranged from the favorable macroeconomic effects of FDI on the balance of payments, to FDI‘s crowding-out effects on domestic financial markets and its pernicious results in the development of local economies. Historical evidence has also shown that FDI does not often contribute to sustainable long-term economic development in the developing world. Eva Paus’ book, Foreign Direct Investment, Development, and Globalization: Can Costa Rica become Ireland?, adds to the discussion of the effects of FDI in developing countries by introducing an in-depth empirical and comparative economic analysis of Ireland and Costa Rica. Both Ireland and Costa Rica are “latecomers in the development process” and have received little attention in the academic development literature.

Published March 15, 2006

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