The Global Politics of Unequal Development

'This book takes the study of what we used to call North-South politics into a new era. The range of issues covered is considerable, the analysis is always hard-headed and the tone is balanced and careful. Yet the inequalities underpinning the international politics of the contemporary world order are fully exposed for all to see. This is a book that deserves to be widely read at this moment in the world's history, 25 years after the publication of the Brandt Report.' - Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Co-Chairman of the Commission on Global Governance 'Anthony Payne rightly challenges critical political economy to embrace the development problematic as essential not only to understanding and to political and social action in our times but also to bring the theoretical tools of social science up to date.' - Professor Robert Cox, York University, Toronto, Canada 'This extraordinarily wide-ranging and original book brings to an impressive climax Anthony Payne's efforts over the last few years to insert the study of development into the core portfolio of international political economy. He shows convincingly how we can use the idea of unequal development as a way of rethinking our understanding of global politics. Students and specialists alike will gain from reading this book' - Professor Bjorn Hettne, University of Gothenburg, Sweden 'The book clearly benefits from the regional expertise of its authors... Additionally, the reader gains insights into the institutional structures of regional cooperation as well as into the impediments to regionalisation...the book as a compilation of regional expertise is very interesting and worth reading. It provides the reader with insights into national development strategies and institutional arrangements of regional cooperation. The case studies are coherent and have mostly met the challenge of analysing the influence of external forces.' - Sandra Pogodda, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Review of International Affairs

Although the phrase 'North-South' divide is not heard so much these days, what separates rich countries from poor countries is a question that is still very much with us.Although the phrase 'North-South' divide is not heard so much these days, what separates rich countries from poor countries is a question that is still very much with us. Anthony Payne offers a new way of thinking about these issues, grounded in the insights of global political economy and interpreting contemporary global politics as a contest between the development strategies of competing countries.