W.W. Rostow

W.W. Rostow was an American economist and political theorist best known for his "stages of economic growth" model. He proposed that countries develop through five stages: traditional society, preconditions for take-off, take-off, drive to maturity, and age of high mass consumption. This framework suggests that all economies progress in a linear fashion, emphasizing industrialization and economic growth as key components of development. Rostow's ideas significantly influenced development policy and economic strategies in the mid-20th century, particularly in the context of post-World War II rebuilding and modernization efforts in developing nations.