| ID | 083538 |
| Title Proper | Uneven Economic Growth and the World Economy's North-South Stratification |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Reuveny, Rafael ; Thompson, William R |
| Publication | 2008. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The liberal formula for peace and prosperity in the 21st century involves substantial convergence in economic growth rates between the affluent North and the poor South, facilitating a decrease in the global North-South gap. This diminished developmental gap should lead to reduced conflict within the South and between the North and South. The problem is that long-term world economic growth is stimulated in part by intermittent upsurges in radical technology generated principally in the system's lead economy. These growth impulses diffuse outwards from the center of the North unevenly. We hypothesize that Northern economies are the primary beneficiaries of these periodic extensions of the technological frontier and that much less trickles down to the South. We test this question of uneven diffusion with time series data dating back to 1870 on systemic leadership growth, Northern economic growth, and Southern economic growth. We find that technological gains in the North have been more likely to expand the North-South gap than to close it. To the extent that the South and Southern turmoil are a function of uneven growth and stratification, neither is apt to disappear anytime soon. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Studies Quarterly Vol. 52, No.3; Sep2008: p579-605 |
| Journal Source | International Studies Quarterly Vol. 52, No.3; Sep2008: p579-605 |
| Key Words | Economic Growth ; World Economy |