They’re universal human aspirations: A world without poverty. Rising living standards. A livable planet. At the start of this century, all of it seemed attainable—within just a few decades. In 2000, leaders of nearly 190 nations resolved “to spare no effort” in pursuit of those goals. Over the next eight years, the world economy went on a winning streak: Average global growth surged to its highest pace since the early 1970s, boosted by the rapid acceleration of trade and investment in developing economies. Extreme-poverty rates plummeted. A majority of developing economies also improved their monetary and fiscal ... (full story)