PoliticsAugust 28, 2026

developmentalism

di-VEL-up-men-tuh-liz-um

Definition

An economic policy approach where the state actively intervenes to promote domestic industry, infrastructure, and resource processing to ensure national economic growth.

Etymology

Derived from the English 'development' with the suffix '-ism' indicating a system or doctrine. It emerged in the 20th century to describe state-led models of economic modernization, particularly in post-colonial or industrializing nations.

In the news

The article describes a shift away from free-trade integration toward a renewed, dormant national developmentalism, emphasizing the upgrade of domestic resources and industrial strategy.

Trump’s Art of the Bad Deal Comes to Canada

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Jacobin

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