Abstract
Can process conditionality enhance poverty reduction in developing countries? We address this question in a political-economic framework with political distortions on the recipient and the donor side. Process conditionality is a useful tool only if the international financial institutions hold all necessary information to assess the political situation in recipient countries and to select the true representatives of the poor into a participatory process. If they do not hold this information or if bureaucratic interests reduce their incentive to acquire this information, process conditionality loses its effectiveness.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alesina, A. and Dollar, D. (2000). Who gives aid to whom and why? Journal of Economic Growth 5: 33–64.
Azam, J.-P. and Laffont, J.-J. (2003). Contracting for aid. Journal of Development Economics 70: 25–58.
Boone, P. (1996). Politics and the effectiveness of aid. European Economic Review 40: 289–329.
Boughton, J. and Mourmouras, A. (2002). Is policy ownership an operational concept? IMF working paper 02/72.
Burnside, C. and Dollar, D.(2000). Aid, policies and growth. American Economic Review 90: 847–868.
Dixit, A. (2000). IMF programs as incentive mechanisms. Unpublished manuscript.
Drazen, A. (2000). Political economy in macroeconomics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Drazen, A. (2001). Conditionality and ownership in IMF lending: A political economy approach. Unpublished manuscript.
Easterly, W. (2003). The cartel of good intentions: The problem of bureaucracy in foreign aid. Journal of Policy Reform, forthcoming.
Foster, M., Healey, J., Martin, M. and White, H. (1999). Linking HIPC II debt relief with poverty reduction and wider aid issues: Some reflections and suggestions. Unpublished manuscript.
Lahiri, S. and Raimondos-Møller, P. (2000). Lobbying by ethnic groups and aid allocation. Economic Journal 110: 62–79.
Marshall, A. and Woodroffe, J. (2001). Policies to roll-back the state and privatize? Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers investigated. Unpublished manuscript.
Martens, B., Mummert, U., Murrell, P. and Seabright, P. (2002). The institutional economics of foreign aid. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mayer, W. and Mourmouras, A. (2002). Vested interests in a positive theory of IFI conditionality. IMF working paper 02/73.
Michaelowa, K. (2003). The political economy of the enhanced HIPC-initiative. Public Choice 114: 461–476.
Mosley, P. (1996). The failure of aid and adjustment policies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Counter examples and policy proposals. Journal of African Economies 5: 406–443.
Niskanen (1971). Bureaucracy and representative government. Chicago: Aldine.
Svensson, J. (2000a). Foreign aid and rent-seeking. Journal of International Economics 51: 437–461.
Svensson, J. (2000b). When is foreign aid policy credible? Aid dependence and conditionality. Journal of Development Economics 61: 61–84.
Svensson, J. (2003). Why conditional aid does not work and what can be done about it? Journal of Development Economics 70: 381–402.
Vaubel, R. (1991). The political economy of the International Monetary Fund: A public choice analysis. In R. Vaubel and T. Willet (eds), The political economy of international organizations, 204–244. Boulder: Westview Press.
World Bank (1998). Assessing aid, Washington, D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
We are grateful for valuable and constructive comments by an anonymous referee.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hefeker, C., Michaelowa, K. Can process conditionality enhance aid effectiveness?. Public Choice 122, 159–175 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-005-5791-3
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-005-5791-3