Dekada nowej ekonomii strukturalnej: czym była i co z niej zostało
The Decade of New Structural Economics: What It Was and What Was Left of It?

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the problem of the internal consistency of the new structural economics (NSE), the economic growth policy concept developed by the Chinese economist Justin Y. Lin, and its ability to explain economic successes and failures of the developing countries. Initially by arguing in favour of a selective industrial policy the NSE seemed to manifest a pragmatic change in the field of development studies. However, the deeper analysis reveals its significant flaws. NSE is little more than a set growth policy rules supported by a very general and controversial vision of economic development composed of arbitrarily chosen elements of neoclassical economics. Neither new methodology nor new terminology are proposed that could open up new research fields or significantly enlarge the existing stock of knowledge. Instead the old dichotomy of export promotion and import substitution are refreshed. While Lin emphasises that the state is necessary in development processes, he offers no new arguments in favour of interventionism. Contrary to conventional wisdom, his concept does not properly explain the successes of East Asiatic countries (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) in catch-up policies. The economic literature is used in arbitrary way and suited to the a priori taken thesis. The adjective ‘new’ seems to serve marketing or rhetoric purposes only. Content and logical analysis methods as well as comparative methods are used in the article.

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