Can Latin America Compete? : Confronting the Challenges of Globalization

With Dynamic Growth In China And India, Recovery In Europe And Japan, And Notable Gains In U.s. Productivity, The Question Arises: Can Latin America Compete? Many Argue That Macroeconomic And Trade Reforms Achieved In The 1990s Merely Put A Handsome Coat Of Paint Over Education, Labor, Judicial, And Administrative Reforms That Remain Incomplete. This Book Identifies And Analyzes Ten Factors That Most Influence The Competitiveness Of Latin American Nations And Will Shape Their Economic Futures. In Their Frank And Direct Assessment--pulling No Punches--the Authors Also Present Viable Courses Of Action That Latin America Can Take To Increase Its Ability To Compete In The Global Economy. Introduction : Can Latin America Compete? / John Price And Jerry Haar -- The Macroeconomic Environment Of Competitiveness / Claudio M. Loser -- Coveting Human Capital : Is Latin American Education Competitive? / Jeffrey M. Puryear And Tamara Ortega Goodspeed -- Competitive Capital Markets : Brazil's Capital Markets Finally Maturing / John H. Welch -- Consumer And Small Business Credit : Building Blocks Of The Middle Class / Jan Smith, Tricia Juhn, And Christopher Humphrey -- Closing The Technology Gap / Peter T. Knight And Rosane A. Marques -- Fostering Innovation : Technological Innovation In Urban Clusters / Scott Tiffin And Isabel Bortagaray -- Not All Infrastructure Is Created Equally : Learning From The Best Practices And Stunning Failures Of Latin American Water Infrastructure / Lee M. Tablewski -- Logistics : The Software That Drives An Economy / John Price -- Legal Reform : Some Emerging Paradoxes Of Latin America's Legal And Judicial Reform Movement / Linn Hammergren -- Property, The Rule Of Law, And Development In The Americas / Peter F. Schaefer And P. Clayton Schaefer -- Tax Reform : Tax Policy, Reform, And Competitiveness In Latin America / Mauricio Carrizosa -- Labor Reform : Undercompetitive Economies And Unprotected Workforce / Christopher Sabatini -- Regulatory Reform : Increasing Competitiveness Through Regulatory And Investment Climate Improvements In Latin America; The Case Of Mexico / Luis Guasch And Benjamin Herzberg -- Public Safety : The Cost Of Living Dangerously / John Price -- Conclusion : Lessons Learned And Looking Forward / Jerry Haar And John Price. Edited By Jerry Haar And John Price. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 8 List of Figures and Tables......Page 10 Foreword......Page 14 Preface......Page 16 Notes on Contributors......Page 20 Introduction: Can Latin America Compete?......Page 26 The Macroeconomic Environment of Competitiveness......Page 52 Coveting Human Capital: Is Latin American Education Competitive?......Page 70 Competitive Capital Markets: Brazil s Capital Markets Finally Maturing......Page 88 Consumer and Small Business Credit: Building Blocks of the Middle Class......Page 104 Closing the Technology Gap......Page 124 Fostering Innovation: Technological Innovation in Urban Clusters......Page 146 Not All Infrastructure Is Created Equally: Learning from the Best Practices and Stunning Failures of Latin American Water Infras......Page 168 Logistics: The Software That Drives an Economy......Page 188 Legal Reform: Some Emerging Paradoxes of Latin America s Legal and Judicial Reform Movement......Page 200 Property, the Rule of Law, and Development in the Americas......Page 222 Tax Reform: Tax Policy, Reform, and Competitiveness in Latin America......Page 240 Labor Reform: Undercompetitive Economies and Unprotected Workforce......Page 264 Regulatory Reform: Increasing Competitiveness through Regulatory and Investment Climate Improvements in Latin America; the Case......Page 278 Public Safety: The Cost of Living Dangerously......Page 296 Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Looking Forward......Page 320 Index......Page 328 Can Latin America compete? Many argue that the macroeconomic and trade reforms of the 1990s merely put a handsome coat of paint over education, labour, judicial, and administrative reforms that remain incomplete. This book identifies ten factors that most influence the competitiveness of Latin American nations and will shape their economic futures.