Charter Cities Podcast

Development, Jim Wolfensohn, and The World Bank with Sebastian Mallaby

Jan 11, 2021

40:39

Today we sit with Sebastian Mallaby, a successful author and esteemed Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council of Foreign Relations. He has also been a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and previously served on the editorial board. To open the show, we put Sebastian’s career into a nutshell before asking him to expand on his background. He tells us about some of his earliest memories as a young roving correspondent in Africa, cutting his teeth in journalism for The Economist. We go on to talk to Sebastian about the World Bank and discover facts about its inception and the evolution of its role since 1944. He discusses some of the World Bank’s constraints before turning his attention to former president of the World Bank, Jim Wolfensohn. Listeners will learn about the life and times of Jim as a human being and as a global leader. Dissecting Jim’s achievements, Sebastian analyses Jim’s structural adjustment programs and comments on the American-Australian’s charisma and knack for communication. In the latter half of the show, we talk about the benefits of the Ease of Doing Business Index and find out Sebastian’s stance on the matter. We continue our conversation and hear from Sebastian on how the world has changed since he published his book in 2004, as he contrasts between the classical left-vs.-right and modern populist-vs.-technocratic divisions. To find out more from Sebastian, his thoughts on Jim Wolfensohn, and the position of the World Bank, be sure to join us today.

Key Points From This Episode:

● Introducing today’s guest, Sebastian Mallaby.

● We take a look at some of Sebastian’s career highlights before we begin.

● Sebastian reminisces when he covered Nelson Mandela’s 1990 release for The Economist.

● Hear about the motives behind establishing the World Bank’s.

● Sebastian elaborates on the constraints of the World Bank.

● Hear about Jim Wolfensohn’s private and public life.

● Sebastian’s answers to: Is the World Bank due for a shakeup?

● Hear Sebastian’s thoughts on the Ease of Doing Business Index and its efficacy.

● We cover the changes since Sebastian published his book in 2004.

● Sebastian’s opinion on Charter Cities, and whether or not it has changed.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: