James Arvanitakis and David Hornsby discuss poverty and wealth in the global system as part of a series of interviews with the contributing authors of the textbook ‘Foundations of International Relations’.

Poverty and wealth are often found side by side. They are two dimensions in our world that are interrelated because they affect each other and influence both the willingness and capacity of states to ensure a stable global system.

To achieve its goal of poverty alleviation, China’s government should first ensure that individual poverty alleviation programs are not captured by elites.

One of the major conundrums of our world is that poverty still exists amidst extreme wealth. Economic processes have lifted many out of poverty but have failed to mitigate income and wealth inequality.

There is evidence to support the claim that democracy can reduce corruption. Once democracy is consolidated, there is reason to believe that corruption can be reduced.