The Role of Government in Economic Growth and Development

Book excerpt: "This book explores the economic development trajectories of South Korea and Vietnam, focusing on the role of the state in economic success amidst similarities and differences in their experiences. These are among the matters that this book explores through a systematic comparative analysis of economic development and the role of the state in South Korea and Vietnam. The results of this analysis provide lessons that will be useful for other developing countries as well as deepen our understanding of the development experiences of South Korea and Vietnam. The innovative nature of this book can be summarized as follows: First, this book engages a historical perspective in order to explore and understand the dynamics of the role of the government; this approach will be valuable to examine how the government has adapted to changes in environmental conditions during the process of development, industrialization and globalization. Thus, the development trajectories of each country have been examined according to three key stages. Secondly, the book uses a comparative method, comparing a wide range of economic, social and political development indicators between the two countries. The comparison between two very different East Asian countries with distinctive social, economic and political systems and at different stages of development can be instructive to show whether the state-led East Asian model has changed, evolved, diminished, or is in terminal decline. Finally, the book uses a qualitative method to generate comprehensive country case studies that are essential to uncover the specific dynamics underlying different development trajectories and outcomes"--