Abstract
This article surveys literature which attempts to explain the success of east Asia's four little dragons ‐ Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The approach is chronological, with the period 1960–88 divided into phases marked by shifts in economic thought.In general, the explanations of economists have lagged years behind events, with predictive exercises usually proving spectacular failures. On the whole, the neo‐classical economists have had the best of the arguments, as they have been able to show that good policies are of crucial importance.

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