Life beyond the Washington Consensus: An Introduction to Pro-poor Macroeconomic Policies

OpenAlex · English

This article reviews the ‘pro-poor’ macroeconomic policy alternative to the Washington consensus. The pro-poor approach draws heavily on heterodox economic theory, and offers a compelling view of an alternative economic strategy oriented primarily to the satisfaction of the basic needs of the majority of the population, the equitable distribution of income, wealth and power, and the preservation of macroeconomic stability. These aims point to a specific set of fiscal, monetary, trade and exchange rate policies. The paper argues that such policies should be supported by social programmes designed to achieve the desired pro-poor outcomes as rapidly as possible.