How is globalization linked to global poverty and to global inequality? Such questions are at the center of a heated and, at times, acrimonious debate, despite the large and growing literatures in economics and other disciplines. This volume of the Brookings Trade Forum aims to summarize what is known from the existing body of scholarly research and identify the questions on which there is less conclusive evidence and consensus. The debate is further fueled by the absence of agreed-upon definitions of globalization, poverty and inequality. Yet clarifying the way such terms are used is critical, as studies based on different definitions of the terms yield starkly contrasting conclusions. All contributors grapple with this difficult issue.
