International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs) International Conference on THE ECONOMICS OF THE NEW IMPERIALISM Economic Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction: PRSPs, Neoliberal Conditionalities and ‘Post-Consensus’ Alternatives

1 Introduction This paper focuses on economic policies and judges their success based on their impact on growth and poverty reduction. The Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme income poverty by 2015 expresses the consensus of the international development community that poverty reduction is of overriding importance. There is also consensus that national poverty reduction strategies, and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers in particular, are the primary vehicle for focusing national policies on reducing poverty. Beneath this apparent consensus, there are, however, significant differences. This paper " swims against the tide " , so to speak, in arguing that such differences are healthy and should be encouraged, and, moreover, that achieving international consensus is not a desirable goal. In this respect, this paper 'steals' at least one idea from neoliberalism— namely, that a " marketplace of ideas " , in which there is competition among conflicting views, should be promoted.