Redefining the Role of the State

An interview with introduction by Brian Snowdon Professor Joseph Stiglitz is without question one of the world’s leading economists. In his extensive research he has made seminal contributions to the analysis of the economic consequences of incomplete information and uncertainty. This work has greatly enhanced economists’ understanding of the welfare properties of markets and the sources of market failure. His research has also contributed to the development of better microeconomic foundations for Keynesian macroeconomic models. Most recently Professor Stiglitz has been heavily involved in controversial public policy debates relating to the East Asian crisis, problems of transition from communism to capitalism, the limitations of the ‘Washington consensus’, and globalisation and development. A common theme in all of these debates relates to the role of government and legitimate borders of the state in both developed and developing economies. In this article/interview Professor Stiglitz gives his views on these and several other important global issues.