Development is a gamble because success is not guaranteed when benefits materialize in the long-term and a host of factors may undermine elite positions. Some countries are able to settle on elite bargains that favour growth and development, and others are unable to reach such settlements.While elite bargains in China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Ghana ended up being development bargains, the opposite was the case in Nigeria, DRC, Malawi and South Sudan. Stefan Dercon is Professor at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department at theUniversity of Oxford, where he also directs the Centre for the Study of African Economies.His latest book – Gambling on Development: Why some countries win and others lose– draws on his academic research and his policy experience across three decades. Twitter: @gamblingondevKey highlights:Introduction - 0:55Bridging the gap between research and policy – 3:09Why a general recipe for development is not very helpful – 11:22Gambling for development: Key arguments – 28:38The future of foreign aid – 45:13 Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodInstagram: @GlobalDevPodApple Google Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/E-mail: InPursuitOfDevelopment@gmail.com