**Chapter 8 145**

The Financing of Spanish Colonial Commerce in America: The *Almojarifazgo* and the Port of Veracruz *by Emiliano Gil-Blanco*

Preface

Among the most discussed and hotly contested areas of policy are those that surround economic development and growth. Robust economic development and the economic growth that underlies that development have long been articulated as the primary aims of governments around the world. Among the wide universe that is public policy, those policies that claim to enhance economic development have long been viewed as particularly important. Discussions over what the best approaches are have been varied, heated, and often at the core of the success or

Scholarship about economic development has most often mirrored this reality, with focus on approaches and mechanisms dominating the discussion. This volume seeks to build on the robust literature by focusing on the policy approaches for economic

Despite the primacy of economic development among the policy aims of most every government, it is important to remember that economic growth is not an end in itself and does not occur in a vacuum. Rather the goal of economic development is the material well-being of individuals, and policy decisions about it happen in a broader policy context. In this light, this volume explores a variety of policy choices that impact economic development and ultimately the well-being of individuals,

The well-being of individuals is not found just in their pocketbooks (although that is often a dominant concern in well-being discussions) but also in the cultural, social, and political realms. Understanding and thoroughly exploring economic development requires an understanding of how policy decisions focused

Throughout this volume, chapter authors explore the policy environments of particular cases and seek to better explain how these policy decisions impact economic development in light of the interplay with other factors. From discussion of tax policy in the Russian Federation, to the interplay of economic development and culture in Namibia, to the complex interplay between tourism and extractive industries in the United States, this volume addresses a wide range of circumstances

Despite the variety of policy decisions, one common theme carries across each of the chapters in this volume, the decisions of policy makers continue to play an important and defining role in economic development, and that those policy decisions have real consequences for individuals. Further, this volume illustrates that economic development remains a worthy aim for policy makers in materially

My own background is heavily tilted toward public policy in the United States. The policy questions that surround economic development in developed nations like the United States differ substantially from those faced by less developed nations.

on economic development interplay with these complex realities.

failure of national, regional, and local governments.

development across the world.

within that wider context.

and policy realities.

improving the lives individuals.
