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The Washington Consensus revisited: a new structural economics perspective

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  • Justin Yifu Lin

Abstract

The Washington Consensus reform resulted in economic collapse and stagnation in many transition economies and “lost decades” in other developing countries in 1980s and 1990s. The paper provides a new structural economics perspective of such failures. The Washington Consensus reform failed to recognize that many firms in a transition economy were not viable in an open, competitive market because those industries went against the comparative advantages determined by the economy’s endowment structure. Their survival relied on the government’s protections and subsidies through various interventions and distortions. The Washington Consensus advised the government to focus their reforms on issues related to property rights, corporate governance, government interventions, and other issues that may obstruct a firm’s normal management. Without resolving the firms’ viability problem, such reforms led to the firms’ collapse and an unintended decline and stagnation of the economy in the transition process. This paper suggests that the viability assumption in neoclassical economics be relaxed when analyzing development and transition issues in socialist, transition, and developing economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin Yifu Lin, 2015. "The Washington Consensus revisited: a new structural economics perspective," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 96-113, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jecprf:v:18:y:2015:i:2:p:96-113
    DOI: 10.1080/17487870.2014.936439
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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2016. "Reconciliation of the Washington Consensus with the Beijing Model in Africa," Research Africa Network Working Papers 16/011, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    2. Asongu, Simplice, 2015. "Rational Asymmetric Development, Piketty and the Spirit of Poverty in Africa," MPRA Paper 67301, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Paul N. Acha-Anyi, 2020. "A survey on the Washington Consensus and the Beijing Model: reconciling development perspectives," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 67(2), pages 111-129, June.
    4. Zhou, Fengxiu & Wang, Xiaoyu, 2022. "The carbon emissions trading scheme and green technology innovation in China: A new structural economics perspective," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 365-381.
    5. Opeyemi Idowu ALUKO, 2015. "Political Economy of Crony Capitalism: The Prospect and the Bane," Journal of Economics Library, KSP Journals, vol. 2(3), pages 192-197, September.
    6. Asongu, Simplice, 2015. "Rational Asymmetric Development: Transfer Mispricing and Sub-Saharan Africa’s Extreme Poverty Tragedy," MPRA Paper 71175, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Simplice Asongu, 2015. "Rational Asymmetric Development: Transfer Pricing and Sub-Saharan Africa’s Extreme Poverty Tragedy," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 15/017, African Governance and Development Institute..
    8. Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "Rational Asymmetric Development: Transfer Mispricing and Sub-Saharan Africa’s Extreme Poverty Tragedy," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/054, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    9. Justin Yifu Lin & Yan Wang, 2020. "Seventy Years of Economic Development: A Review from the Angle of New Structural Economics," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 28(4), pages 26-50, July.
    10. Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "Rational Asymmetric Development: Transfer Pricing and Sub-Saharan Africa’s Extreme Poverty Tragedy," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/017, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    11. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2016. "Rational Asymmetric Development, Piketty and Poverty in Africa," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 13(2), pages 221-246, December.
    12. Asongu, Simplice A & Nwachukwu, Jacinta C., 2016. "Unjust Enrichment from Official Corruption in Africa: Theory and Model on how Lenders have benefited," MPRA Paper 75416, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Markus Leibrecht & Christian Bellak, 2023. "Investment policy reform as a driver of foreign direct investment: Evidence from China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 1035-1053, October.
    14. Simplice Asongu & John Ssozi, 2016. "Sino-African Relations: Some Solutions and Strategies to the Policy Syndromes," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 33-51, January.
    15. Sanja Franc & Antea Barišić & Zoran Wittine, 2020. "The Dilemma over Washington Consensus Guidelines or Industrial Policy: Lessons from Croatia," Notitia - journal for economic, business and social issues, Notitia Ltd., vol. 1(6), pages 49-62, December.
    16. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2020. "Comparative Advantage Following (CAF) development strategy, Aid for Trade flows and structural change in production," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-29, December.
    17. Marian Gorski & Patrycja Chodnicka-Jaworska, 2019. "The Process of Catching up with the Economic Development of OECD Countries and the Role of Foreign Direct Investment in this Process," Book, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, edition 1, volume 1, number y:2019:v:1:ch:8:p:165-186 edited by Justin Yifu Lin & Alojzy Z. Nowak, June.
    18. Anton Malkin & Bessma Momani, 2016. "An Effective Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: A Bottom Up Approach," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 7(4), pages 521-530, November.
    19. Judith Clifton & Amy Glasmeier & Alpen Sheth, 2017. "Revisiting development theory: Alice H. Amsden’s impact on the field," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 10(1), pages 3-14.
    20. Jordá, Vanesa & Alonso, José M., 2017. "New Estimates on Educational Attainment Using a Continuous Approach (1970–2010)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 281-293.
    21. Voszka, Éva, 2019. "Elvesztett illúziók - reformközgazdászok a rendszerváltásban [Lost illusions - reform economists in the years of transition]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(12), pages 1284-1311.
    22. Niftiyev, Ibrahim, 2020. "The De-industrialization Process In Azerbaijan: Dutch Disease Syndrome Revisited," EconStor Conference Papers 227485, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.

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