Quotes by Paul Collier

About Paul Collier:

Sir Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. He is also a Director of the International Growth Centre, the Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies, and a Fellow of St Antony's College.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Launching a turnaround takes courage. I cannot measure that and so it is not going to be included in my analysis, but behind the moments of change there are always a few people within these societies who have decided to try to make a difference.

Paul Collier

Politicians would only move beyond gestures once there was a critical mass of informed citizens.

Paul Collier

Electorates tend to get the politicians they deserve.

Paul Collier

Elections determine who is in power, but they do not determine how power is used.

Paul Collier

Without an informed electorate, politicians will continue to use the bottom billion merely for photo opportunities, rather than promoting real transformation.

Paul Collier

Change in the societies at the very bottom must come predominantly from within; we cannot impose it on them.

Paul Collier

Not all developing countries are the same.

Paul Collier

Poverty is not intrinsically a trap, otherwise we would all still be poor.

Paul Collier

Persuading everyone to behave decently to each other because the society is so fragile is a worthy goal, but it may be more straightforward just to make the societies less fragile, which means developing their economies.

Paul Collier

Suppose a country starts its independence with the three economic characteristics that globally make a country prone to civil war: low income, slow growth, and dependence upon primary commodity exports. It is playing Russian roulette. That is not jus...

Paul Collier

Rebels usually have something to complain about, and if they don't they make it up. All too often the really disadvantaged are in no position to rebel; they just suffer quietly.

Paul Collier

Author Bio

  • NamePaul Collier
  • DescriptionBritish economist
  • Born1949
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • ProfessionEconomist
  • AwardsCommander Of The Order Of The British Empire