Long the standard in its field, this distinctive book for courses in economic development now reflects fresh thinking on changes in the subject and on new problems confronting the development community. Meier selects the most insightful readings from a variety of sources, integrates them into a topical structure, and deftly brings them together with his own explanatory sections.

Providing a wide range of viewpoints not found in the ordinary textbook, this edition also includes readings on new growth theory, new institutional economics and problems of imperfect information and incomplete markets, the environment, issues of gender, recent experience with policy reform, and political economy as related to government failure.

The emphasis throughout is on fundamental analytical principles and on empirical relationships within the main theme of how to improve the future quality of development policy making.