Countries in the Middle East have very different economies, even if they are often grouped together. In The Economics of the Middle East, James Rauch focuses on the drivers of their distinctiveness, including the effects of their natural endowments, geographic locations, and interactions with the global economy.This book evaluates the socioeconomic trajectories of three groups of Middle Eastern States: Sub-Saharan African, fuel-endowed, and "Mediterranean." It compares these groups both to each other and to developing countries in other regions with similar characteristics. Rauch draws on basic approaches to economic development to enhance understanding of important issues, such how policies on gender, education, health, and the environment affect development. His comparative perspective sheds light on how and why the Arab countries, Iran, and Turkey have done better or worse than similar countries in other regions. His analysis throughout is supported by data that are well organized and clearly presented. Rauch develops new insights on topics as diverse as unemployment, urbanization, corruption, and the importance of intraregional flows of investment and migrants. The result is a fascinating and balanced overview of the socioeconomic performance of the Arab countries, Iran, and Turkey that presents a new lens on the economics of the Middle East.
James Rauch is Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and a Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He has done extensive research in the Middle East and was a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Financial Economics in the American University of Beirut.
I. IntroductionThe Scope of This BookThe Human Development IndexThree Arab WorldsHuman Development in the Three Arab Worlds on the Eve of the "Arab Spring"Human Development in the Three Arab Worlds After the "Arab Spring"A Note on Country GroupsII. Historical PerspectiveIntroductionExtensive versus Intensive GrowthThe Division of the WorldThe Great DivergenceIII.International Trade, Natural Resource Rents, and Foreign Direct InvestmentIntroductionInternational Trade and Industrialization of the Arab Mediterranean and TurkeyManufactured Exports to High-Income ConsumersService Exports to High-Income Consumers: TourismNatural Resource Rents and OPECForeign Direct InvestmentIV. Human ResourcesIntroductionEducationHealthThe Demographic TransitionV. Gender GapsIntroductionEducationLabor Force ParticipationHealthVI. Income Inequality, Poverty, Migration, and UnemploymentIntroductionIncome Inequality as Measured by the Gini IndexPoverty HeadcountsMigration and RemittancesPublic and Private Sector Expenditure to Reduce PovertyUnemployment and Self-EmploymentVII. Environmental ChallengesIntroductionWater Scarcity and Lack of Access to Basic Drinking Water and Sanitation ServicesAir PollutionMunicipal Waste and Greenhouse Gas EmissionsThe Consequences of Global Warming for the Arab Countries, Iran, and TurkeyVIII. Government Spending: Urban Infrastructure, Energy Subsidies, and the MilitaryIntroductionUrbanization and Strain on Public FinanceUrban PrimacyEnergy SubsidiesMilitary SpendingSlumsInfrastructure QualityIX. Political EconomyIntroductionCorruption, GDP per capita, and Bureaucratic InefficiencyBureaucratic Performance With Regard to Starting a Business and Enforcing ContractsPolitically Connected Firms in Egypt and TunisiaX. Conclusion: Some Modest Proposals for Policy
James Rauch's The Economics of the Middle East examines important issues facing the region from the perspective of fundamental economic principles and, in doing so, fills an important gap in the literature. It provides scholars a clear, empirically rich discussion of international trade and industrialization, human development and inequalities, environmental challenges, and other critical issues facing the Arab world, Iran, and Turkey.
FAXNELD, Per Faxneld, Jesper Aa. Petersen, Stockholm University) Faxneld, Per (Doctoral research fellow, department of the History of Religions, Doctoral research fellow, department of the History of Religions, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Petersen, Jesper Aa. (Associate Professor, Programme for Teacher Education, Associate Professor, Programme for Teacher Education
Jennifer Nedelsky, University of Toronto) Nedelsky, Jennifer (Professor of Law and Political Science, Professor of Law and Political Science, NEDELSKY, Nedelsky
JACOBSON, Cardell Jacobson, Lara Burton, Brigham Young University) Jacobson, Cardell (Karl G. Maeser General Education Professor and Professor of Sociology, Karl G. Maeser General Education Professor and Professor of Sociology, Brigham Young University) Burton, Lara (PhD Candidate, PhD Candidate
BINGAMAN, Bingaman, Brock Bingaman, Bradley Nassif, Wesleyan College) Bingaman, Brock (Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Program Director, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Program Director, North Park University) Nassif, Bradley (Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies
ALLEN, Franklin Allen, Elena Carletti, Jan Pieter Krahnen, Marcel Tyrell, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania) Allen, Franklin (Nippon Life Professor of Finance and Professor of Economics, Nippon Life Professor of Finance and Professor of Economics, European University Institute) Carletti, Elena (Professor of Economics, Professor of Economics, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt) Krahnen, Jan Pieter (Chair of Corporate Finance, Chair of Corporate Finance, Friedrichshafen) Tyrell, Marcel (Professor of Entrepreneurship & Finance, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Finance, Zeppelin University
Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, Dustin Avent-Holt, University of Massachusetts Amherst) Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald (Professor, Professor, Department of Sociology, Georgia Regents University) Avent-Holt, Dustin (Associate Professor of Sociology, Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work, TOMASKOVIC-DEVEY, Tomaskovic-Devey
Norcross, John C. Norcross, Bruce E. Wampold, University of Scranton) Norcross, John C. (Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Norway) Wampold, Bruce E. (Research Institute Director, Research Institute Director, Modum Bad Psychiatric Center