World Bank president unplugged

Bill Easterly thinks World Bank president Robert Zoellick needs more to do: World Bank President Robert Zoellick has recently been able to work on things normally considered outside his job description. Last month, he informed academics of his new plan for reinventing economic development research. On Monday in the Financial Times, Zoellick tackled virtually all ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

Bill Easterly thinks World Bank president Robert Zoellick needs more to do:

Bill Easterly thinks World Bank president Robert Zoellick needs more to do:

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has recently been able to work on things normally considered outside his job description. Last month, he informed academics of his new plan for reinventing economic development research. On Monday in the Financial Times, Zoellick tackled virtually all G-20 international economic cooperation issues, including reducing U.S. government budget deficits, international agreement on currency intervention, infrastructure investment in emerging markets, and a new Bretton Woods international monetary system based on a return to the gold standard.

According to unconfirmed sources, Mr. Zoellick asked his staff to next work on eliminating penalty kicks in deciding major soccer championships.

I’ve often wondered if the Bank hasn’t been a bit jealous institutionally as the IMF gets fresh new cash and dominates headlines. The grass is always greener on the other side of 19th street.

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

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