Exploiting disparity between industrialized and developing countries

Voting power on the World Bank board is based on financial contributions, rather than on the principle of "one country, one vote". The world's five richest countries hold almost 40% of votes, of which the share of the USA is 17%. This imbalance of voting power steers the Bank toward the interests of the industrial countries. Yet the Bank has little leverage over the policies of industrial countries, which often do not practice what they preach through the Bank about fiscal, monetary, trade, or adjustment policies.