A caution against faddist approaches to industrial policy (the old industrial policy rules still apply)

It’s a good thing that World Bank is finally OK with industrial policy, but policymakers shouldn’t let themselves be constrained by the coming prescriptive “best practices.”

May 29, 2026

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I: Has industrial policy become the new development fad?

The March 31, 2026 release of a World Bank policy research report s…

An Africanist Perspective

A caution against faddist approaches to industrial policy (the old industrial policy rules still apply)

It’s a good thing that World Bank is finally OK with industrial policy, but policymakers shouldn’t let themselves be constrained by the coming prescriptive “best practices.”

I: Has industrial policy become the new development fad?

This post is for paid subscribers