POL S240 Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - International Law, Nationalism, Economic Growth
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
POL S240
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
January 28, 2015
LECTURE 1
2 main takeaways
newly independent countries were becoming states in a particularly hostile high stakes game of
world politics dominated by 2 superpowers
this really impacted the ways and degrees to which they were able to pursue their own interests.
economies at the moment of independence are still colonial economies
economies shaped over time
difficulty in change
industrialized countries were considered to be the modern more forward countries.
part of the arrangement with powers, it was forbidden to start their own industries
common features of developing countries
politics and government shaped by low levels of economic development
membership in religious or ethnic group more important to political identity than citizenship
governments often limited to efficacy
political legitimacy of the government is weak
a weak position in the international system
not all of these characteristics apply to developing countries in the same way or not very well at
all.
two assertions -
that they experience low levels of economic development -
many countries experience tremendous economic growth
what the growth mean can really differ - lot of activity in that country,
economic development varies between different developing countries
doesn't mean there is a long term sustainable economy, could just be a lot of foreign dollars.
economic development varies within a country - Gini coefficient
Conflict and competition over opportunities and resources
scarcity - resources - E. Africa and drought
opportunity and jobs
sudden economic downturns
employment and inflation - the cash is worth less than it was before, wealth in land or property
does not take as large of a hit.
Argentina - repeated economic crisis
economic instability brought about political instability
1930 - 1983 presidents lasted about 2 years in office on average
created by widely divergent political styles
periods of crazy inflation - at times 600%
1989 - 5,000%
90s - began to do better, coming out of military dictatorship, privatizing, opened capital market,
attracted foreign investors.
2001 - unemployment at 20%, reports of hunger and malnutrition, economy shrunk by 1/5.
frequently experiences ups and downs
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
economic competition and abundance
post apartheid south africa - loaded expectations, people desperate and impatient for change -
creates economic instability
rising expectations of economic development being uncertain
resource curse - conflict can arise from abundance of resources when they are extractive
resources because they are cash wealth, high in capital, expensive to extract. quick return.
missing any investment in the human capital, labour is required but not that much, not about an
educated well taken care of workforce, need the technology and the presence of the resource.
if you have a good labour force, makes more stable long term. not built into a system of cash
crops. no guarantee that the cash will be used well, massive oil and gas reserves, experience
high levels of corruption. having the resources can feed succession wars
governments are very focussed on improving the economic well being - top priority
government campaigns - basic needs - ex maternal health. moving up the value added chain.
most governments - activity that is low impact on the environment and that is specific to that
country. high tech things - patents.
china and india -
brazil - helped to develop health care centres for people outside of the country, knowledge
intensive industry that the government invested in to move the country up the value chain.
developmental states
ideal features -
political and policy elite committed to economic growth
competent authoritative state admin
weak civil societies
success is predicated on 5 factors -
undertook measures to ensure equality of ownership
were very authoritarian and oppressed dissent and labour movements
maintained stable macro economic conditions
merit based promotions in civil service
support new industries with incentive and protections - high tariffs
ex. japan after WWII
occupied so much of Asia, society and resources under strain , need to feed and clothe the
people. occupied by american forces until 1952.
continued with internal suppression to further economic development.
political life and government in developing countries are driven by economic issues
not just low levels of economic development, but drive for development, deepening inequalities,
instability of growth and crisis.
membership in religious or ethnic groups are more important to identity than citizenship
management of ethnic/religious diversity is a key factor to shaping political life
why are these identities important?
not ancient hatred… usually constructed through colonialism
colonial administrations and cooperation with locals
the way which governing institutions were set up - needed someone to collect taxes and take
order, train locals to do the work
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Argentina - repeated economic crisis economic instability brought about political instability. 1930 - 1983 presidents lasted about 2 years in of ce on average created by widely divergent political styles periods of crazy in ation - at times 600% 90s - began to do better, coming out of military dictatorship, privatizing, opened capital market, attracted foreign investors. Rwanda - hutu and tutsi, not so much about ethnic groups but more about occupation constant intercommunal bargaining within political parties safety in numbers, Ted gurr - noticed a country with 2 or 3 ethnic groups, much more likely to have more con ict and more violence, 8 or more - less likely to have violence and con ict. February 4, 2015 important as regional actors - nigeria politics driven by low economic development. lots of oil life expectancy - 52 years poverty rate - 40% 2010 adult literacy rate - 50%
