Books by William Ascher

Although many scholars and practitioners recognize that development and conflict are intertwined, there is much less understanding of the mechanisms behind these linkages. This book takes a new approach by critically examining how various development strategies provoke or help prevent intrastate violence, based on cases from all developing regions.

Scheming for the Poor is the first comparative analysis of redistributive policymaking in Latin America. Ascher examines the success or failure of progressive policies launched by nine governments grouped into three regime types-populist, reformist, and radical-over the course of the postwar history of Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Humans are plagued by shortsighted thinking, preferring to put off work on complex, or difficult problems in favor of quick-fix solutions to immediate needs. This book draws on research from psychology, economics, institutional design, and legal theory to suggest strategies to overcome obstacles to long-term planning in developing countries.

Presents the aspects of the author's contributions to the field of Political Psychology such as the psychodynamic mechanisms drawn from psychoanalytic theory, and the use of symbol associations to understand political propaganda.