Drawing on econometric evidence and in-depth studies of West Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, this book explores how horizontal inequalities - ethnic, religious or racial - are a source of violent conflict and how political, economic and cultural status inequalities have contributed. Policies to reverse inequality would reduce these risks.

The last decade has brought sharp adjustment and rising poverty for most of the developing world. Adjustment and Poverty: Options and Choices examines the major causes and results of this situation, including:
*the relationship between structural adjustment and poverty;
*the extent to which the situation was brought about by internal and/or external policies;
*the impact of the IMF and World Bank on adjusting countries;
*government tax and spending policies - with a particular focus on social sector spending;
*the possiblity of better policies in the future.

This book identifies the main sources of dissatisfaction with the international monetary system as a framework for trade and payments. It considers changes in the financial system which might lead to a satisfactory working of the system in the 1980s, from the point of view of the Third World.