First published in 1999, this book focuses on the macroeconomics issues which directly affect OPEC countries, aiming to set them in the context of the overall development effort. The most extant theoretical and empirical aspects in macroeconomics are integrated smoothly with institutional issues and policy questions. The analysis is illustrated through examples to show how the theories relate to the real world, especially to ongoing debates on developing economies as well as debates that encompass both developing and OPEC and developed countries.
Colonial Planning (1958) breaks new ground in its study of colonial development plans on a comparative basis. It starts with a summary of the statistical data for the 70 odd territories studied, including territorial incomes, capital accumulation, origin and size of planning finances and metropolitan contributions, both within and outside the plans. This section also discusses the validity and comparability of the data. The author then selects, with the help of the many contributions to the study of the problems of economic growth, those problems which seem especially relevant to administrative planning. After an outline of the historical developments which have led to the widespread acceptance of colonial planning in its then-current forms, he analyses the various types of planning machinery established both in the metropolitan centres and in the territories, traces their connections and attempts a classification of their organisational problems. Finally, he analyses and classifies the plans themselves, giving special attention to attempts at solving the problems of priorities. This work is based on administrative documents, and especially on the various colonial development plans put forward since the war: colonial development planning so far has been mainly an administrative exercise and its problems, methods, scope and aims can be best understood if studies within an administrative context.
A liberalization of economic policies has inspired considerable economic growth and encouraged the development of Burma's natural resources, but, according to David Steinberg, the current military government is akin to previous civilian governments in its commitment to socialism as a vehicle for development. The economic flexibility demonstrated by the government has not been matched by political liberalization, and as a result, economic growth remains a captive of administrative and policy constraints. Steinberg traces the origins and acceptance of socialist thought and planning in Burma and shows how socialist ideology has had to be tempered with pragmatism in order to make economic development possible. Looking to Burma's future, he also points out two central problems facing the country: strained minority relations, which have kept the nation from developing a sense of unity, and difficulties with political succession brought on by the military regime's preoccupation with perpetuating its own leadership.
