What are the prospects that governments and political systems in developing countries will be pro-poor? This synthesis of a large research exercise offers a series of guidelines for thinking about specific cases. The most general guideline is ‘don’t be (so) gloomy’. Political analysis does not serve only to explain why desirable outcomes are sometimes difficult to achieve. Good analysis also tells us about the wide range of opportunities that exist for pro-poor policies. There are five more specific guidelines:Democratic political systems are not necessarily pro-poor.The extent and ways in which poor people are mobilised politically depend to a large degree on the effectiveness and coherence of states and the policies they pursue.There is no reason to expect that decentralisation will be pro-poor.There is a wider range of possibilities for pro-poor political alliances than is widely believed.Many of the policies needed to improve governance will benefit the poor.
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