In sum, the dependency perspective obfuscates our understanding of development in many ways, most importantly by denying domestic actors autonomy in the direction in which they want to steer their economies and neglecting the causes of poverty that can be attributed to domestic policies. It can only be said to contribute to our understanding of development problems in an indirect way: insofar as it underscores the external dimension of economic development. Political economist Barbara Stallings introduces three mechanisms by which the international system influences the operations of less developed countries. All three are emphasized by the dependency school: