Syllabus for Political Science 340
Politics of Developing Areas
MWF, 12:10-1:00 pm, 124 Ross Hall
Fall 2006, Iowa State University
Christopher L. Ball, Lecturer
clb5@iastate.edu
Dept. of Political Science
Office Hours: MW, 10:15-11:15 & by appt.
517 Ross Hall
Phone: 515.294.4652
Precis
This course examines leading issues in the politics of the developing world. Developing areas are
home to 84 percent of the world’s population but produce only 20 percent of the world’s wealth,
measured in terms of goods and services. Most of the current armed conflicts occur in the
developing world. In this course, we will first explore the intertwined issue of state-building,
nationalism, and democratization as they affect developing countries. Then, we will examine the
causes and consequences of civil war and state failure for economic development. Next, we will
focus on the challenges facing contemporary Iraq and Afghanistan, which are sites of civil
conflict and ambitious state- and nation-building efforts. Last, we will examine the effects of
globalization on the economic development. In geographic terms, the course will focus more on
Asia, Africa, and the Middle East than on Latin America.
Requirements
All students must do the assigned reading. I reserve the right to distribute unannounced in-class
quizzes on the assigned readings for the week. In addition to course readings, students should
follow current events. The New York Times, The Washington Post or National Public Radio
(NPR) news broadcasts (on WOI 640 AM and KTPR 91.1 FM) are excellent daily news sources.
I will also post items on the course website.
The main course website is at this URL: <http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pol_s.340>. I will post
slides displayed in class, relevant links, and information about the course. There is a WebCT site
as well. This will be used to post assigned articles, host a discussion forum, and post grades.
Class Participation: All students should be prepared to participate in class discussions. Each
student has a D as his or her default grade. If students participate well, their grades will be
increased. Students who fail to participate or who do so poorly will get a D. I will call on
students in class by name on a rotating basis. Responses to these questions count toward class
participation. Participation is worth 10% of the course grade.
Students are not expected to perform Periclean orations, but everyone should be prepared to
discuss the assigned readings, current events, and question that I pose. Criticisms of points made
in readings, by fellow students, and by yours truly are welcome, and debates may emerge among
students. Students should respect their classmates’ contributions, and refrain from partisan or
parochial philippics. The purpose of these discussions is not to win imaginary debating points,
but to learn beyond solitary reading and unexamined listening.
1
In-Class Tests: There will be three in-class short-answer tests. The average of the three grades
is worth 50% of the course grade. The test dates are 25 Sep., 27 Oct., and 17 Nov.
Final Exam: A cumulative final exam is worth 40% of the course grade.
Penalties: Students must sit for all tests and exams. No one may make-up a test at will. There are
two exceptions. First, for personal emergencies (e.g., a death in the family, medical problems),
students should obtain a note from the dean of students or their physician. Second, for students
with extra-curricular activities that conflict with deadlines, arrangements for an alternate date
and time must be made at least a week in advance. The student must provide verification of the
activity in order to be eligible for an alternate deadline. I do not accept notification after the fact
(e.g., “I didn’t turn in my paper last week because I had a match/concert”).
A computer mishap will not excuse a late paper. You should make frequent and multiple backups of your work (to at least 2 separate floppy disks or other removable media), so that you never
lose more than one hour’s worth of work. If you own your own computer, be sure you
familiarize yourself with the ISU’s computer labs in case your system breaks down.
Grade Components
Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
• Participation: 10%
• In-class Tests: 50%
• Final Exam: 40%
Each component will be assigned a letter grade, converted to a grade point, and multiplied by its
percentage weighting. I do not accept make-up assignments, re-writing of papers, or extra-credit
work.
Academic Honesty
Iowa State University regulations regarding academic honesty will be enforced. See Iowa State
University Catalog, “Academic Dishonesty,” p.38-39. The penalty for plagiarism or cheating on
exams is failure for the course.
ISU advises: “If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities
Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires accommodations, he/she should
contact the Disability Resources (DR) office for information on appropriate policies and
procedures. DR is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076; their
phone is 515-294-6624.”
Readings
There are no books for purchase assigned for this course. Instead, we will read recent academic
articles and a few newspaper publications. Most of the reading will be posted on the WebCT site
as PDF files; others are accessible via a URL listed after the article. Other, shorter articles will be
posted to the WebCT discussion forum during the semester. The readings listed here may change
during the semester so do not print out readings more than two weeks ahead without first
checking with me.
2
______________________________________________________________________________
21, 23 & 25 Aug.
The Politics of Development and Developing Politics
Amartya Sen, “The diverse ancestry of democracy” Financial Times. 13 June 2005 via email
Jeffrey Sachs, “The End of Poverity,” Time 14 March 2005 at
http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/TimeMagazineMar142005TheEndofPovertysmall1.pdf
28 & 30 Aug. & 1 Sep.
Democratization in the Developing World
Larry Diamond, “Can the Whole World Become Democratic? Democracy, Development,
and International Policies” (April 17, 2003). Center for the Study of Democracy.
Paper 03-05 (Download PDF at http://repositories.cdlib.org/csd/03-05 )
Anwar Ibrahim, “Universal Values and Muslim Democracy,” Journal of Democracy 17.3
(July 2006) WebCT
6 & 8 Sep. (No Class on 4 Sep.)
Building the Post-Colonial State
Lisa Anderson, “Antiquated Before They Can Ossify: States that Fail Before They Form,”
Journal of International Affairs 58:1 (Fall 2004) WebCT
Mark Berger, “From nation-building to state-building: The geopolitics of development, the
nation-state system and the changing global order,” Third World Quarterly 27:1
(February 2006) WebCT
11, 13 & 15 Sep.
Nation-Building and the Post-Colonial State
Sumantra Bose, “De-Colonization and State Building in South Asia,” Journal of
International Affairs 58:1 (Fall 2004) WebCT
Nicola Miller, “The historiography of nationalism and national identity in Latin America,”
Nations and Nationalism 12:2 (April 2006) WebCT
Eghosa E. Osaghae, “Democracy and National Cohesion in Multiethnic African States:
South Africa and Nigeria Compared ,”Nations and Nationalism 5:2 (April 1999)
WebCT
18, 20 & 22 Sep.
War and State-Making
Jeffrey Herbst, “War and the State in Africa” International Security 14:4 (Spring 1990)
WebCT
Stein Eriksen, “The Congo war and the prospects for state formation: Rwanda and Uganda
compared,” Third World Quarterly 26:7 (October 2005) WebCT
25, 27 & 29 Sep. (1st Test, 25 Sep.)
Markets and Civil Society
Caroline M. Cooper, “‘This is Our Way In’: The Civil Society of Environmental NGOs in
South-West China ,” Government and Opposition 41:1 (Winter 2006) WebCT
3
Pasuk Phongpaichit & Chris Baker, “‘Business Populism’ in Thailand,” Journal of
Democracy 16.2 (April 2005) WebCT
2, 4 & 6 Oct.
Failed States
William Reno, “The Politics of Violent Opposition in Collapsing States,” Government and
Opposition 40:2 (Spring 2005) WebCT
Jeffrey Herbst, “Responding to State Failure in Africa” International Security 21:3 (Winter
1996) WebCT
9, 11 & 13 Oct.
The Causes of Civil Wars
Jenny Pearce, “Policy Failure and Petroleum Predation: The Economics of Civil War Debate
Viewed ‘From the War-Zone,’” Government and Opposition 40:2 (Spring 2005)
WebCT
Paul Collier & Anke Hoeffler, “Resource Rents, Governance, and Conflict,”
Journal of Conflict Resolution 49:4 (August 2005) WebCT
16, 18 & 20 Oct.
Ending Civil Wars
Michael Barnett, “Building a Republican Peace: Stabilizing States after War,” International
Security 30:4 (Spring 2006) WebCT
Daniel Chirot, “The Debacle in Côte d'Ivoire,” Journal of Democracy 17.2 (April 2006)
WebCT
23 & 25 Oct. (2nd Test 27 Oct.) & 30 Oct. & 1 & 3 Nov.
Iraq & Afghanistan
Elizabeth Rubin, “In the Land of the Taliban,” The New York Times Magazine. 22 Oct. 2006
WebCT
Seth G. Jones, “Averting Failure in Afghanistan,” Survival 48:1 (Spring 2006) WebCT
Rory Stewart, "Even in Iraq, All Politics is Local," The New York Times. 13 July 2006,
p.23. WebCT
Yahia Said, "Iraq in the shadow of civil war," Survival 47:4 (Winter 2005) WebCT
6, 8 & 10 Nov.
Globalization and Development I
Anthony J. Leysens, Social forces in Southern Africa: transformation from below? The
Journal of Modern African Studies 44:1 (March 2006) WebCT
Alice Sindzingre, “Reforms, Structure or Institutions? Assessing the determinants of growth
in low-income countries” Third World Quarterly 26:2 (2005) WebCT
13, 15 & 17 Nov. (3rd Test, 17 Nov.)
Globalization and Development II
4
Jennifer Clapp, “WTO Agriculture negotiations: implications for the Global South,” Third
World Quarterly 27:4 (May 2006) WebCT
Ngaire Woods & Domenico Lombardi, “Uneven patterns of governance: how developing
countries are represented in the IMF,” Review of International Political Economy
13:3 (August 2006) WebCT
Thanksgiving Recess
27 & 29 Nov. & 1 Dec.
Globalization and Development III
Steven Levitsky & Lucan A. Way, “International Linkage and Democratization” Journal of
Democracy 16.3 (July 2005) WebCT
Devesh Kapur & Moisés Naím, “The IMF and Democratic Governance,” Journal of
Democracy 16.1 (January 2005) WebCT
4, 6 & 8 Dec.
Conclusions
TBA
5