Development Economics: The Spurious Consensus and its Background

1. In Sections I and II of this paper I argue that the much publicized consensus in contemporary development economics is spurious, both in that its main components are invalid, and also in that, contrary to the claim of its principal exponents, they are not universally accepted. ¹ Subsequently, I consider some of the influences behind the emergence of the invalid ideas of the consensus, as well as some results and implications of their acceptance.