Eastern Michigan University
Department of Political Science
PLSC 311Politics of the Developing World
Fall 2013
T/Th 9:30-10:45 am, 327 Pray-Harrold
Genevieve E. Meyers
Office: 601G Pray-Harrold
Tel. (734) 487-0058
Office Hours: T/Th 3:30 – 4:30 pm, or by appt.
Email: gmeyers1@emich.edu
Course content and objectives: The so-called Third World--a term used after WWII to refer to
former colonies--now includes more than 120 countries, so it might be more accurately called
the “two-thirds world.” Yet this large and diverse group of nation-states in Asia, Africa, Latin
America and the Middle East are too often overlooked, or their politics oversimplified by
stereotypes.
This course will examine political patterns and contrasts in the developing world (also
sometimes referred to as the global South, less-developed countries, or the periphery). The
approach will be thematic, highlighting dimensions of comparative political analysis that are
particularly relevant to this grouping of countries, with cases selected to illustrate the broader
themes. By taking this course you will learn to apply the concepts and methods of comparative
politics to any group of states, and to analyze the patterns of politics found in a variety of
regime types. You will also learn about the historical developments that affected the shape of
different countries’ politics and their place in the international political system, with particular
attention to the causes and consequences of unequal levels of economic development.
Part I will critically examine the logic and terminology behind the classification “developing
world.” Special attention will be paid to the assumptions and theoretical constructs
surrounding such terms as poverty, development, and underdevelopment. Part II will focus on
the formation of nation-states and other political identities, and the historical processes that
shaped them. Important themes include the legacies of colonization and independence
struggles, religious and ethnic conflict, gender and development, and nationalism. Part III takes
a comparative approach to exploring patterns in the socioeconomic politics of developing
countries, including: economic and social polarization (in both rural and urban populations) and
the revolutionary responses that sometimes result; the role of the military in politics; and issues
of human rights and democratization. Part IV examines issues that have taken on new
importance in the politics of developing countries. These include changing interactions of
states and markets in an era of globalization, and the altered international context in the
aftermath of the Cold War. Part IV covers country cases and will entail presentations.
The study of politics in the developing world will help develop and sharpen conceptual
frameworks for doing comparative political analysis. It will also broaden perspectives on the
experience of most of the world’s population, often ignored in the wealthier corners of the
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globe.
Requirements, grading, and other policies:
1) Be prepared and participate: Students are expected to do the assigned reading before each
class, and come to all classes prepared to participate in discussion. Students are also required
to follow current political developments in the developing world. Good sources of international
news in English include the U.S. dailies The New York Times (http://global.nytimes.com),
Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com), or Christian Science Monitor
(http://www.csmonitor.com); British dailies The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk), The
Guardian/The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk), or The Independent
(http://news.independent.co.uk/world); and weekly periodicals such as the International
Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com) The Economist (http://www.economist.com), or The
Nation (http://www.thenation.com). Good radio news can be found on the BBC
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world, broadcast on WUOM, 91.7 FM, 9:00-10:00 am Mon.Fri.); Free Speech Radio News (http://www.fsrn.org, broadcast on WCBN, 88.3 FM, 5:30-6:00
pm Mon.-Fri.); Democracy Now! (http://www.democracynow.org); or National Public Radio
(http://news.npr.org/world.html, broadcast on the hour at WEMU, 89.1 FM). Other useful
sources include the periodicals Third World Quarterly and Current History (available in Halle
Library), and Web sites such as the following:
Focus on the Global South
http://www.focusweb.org
One World News Service, up-to-date news by country/region and issue
http://us.oneworld.net/
Univ. of Texas at Austin, links to info. on Latin America and Asia
http://lanic.utexas.edu/
http://asnic.utexas.edu
Washington, DC-based Development Group for Alternative Policies
http://www.developmentgap.org
Africa Action
http://www.africaaction.org/
Africa Studies Center, Univ. of Pennsylvania, links on Africa by country
http://www.africa.upenn.edu//Home_Page/Country.html
Asia News Network
http://www.asianewsnet.net/
Asia Times online
http://www.atimes.com/
Middle East Research and Information Project
http://www.merip.org
Al Jazeera English edition, news on Middle East – they now have a TV station here in the USA,
check your local listings
http://english.aljazeera.net/
North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
http://news.nacla.org/
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United Nations Development Program
http://www.undp.org
2) Course Grading:
Grades are divided between class participation and attendance, weekly presentations, a
midterm exam, and final research paper and presentation.
Participation and Attendance – 10% of final grade:
Participation and attendance will make up 10% of your final grade. These points will be
assigned based on two criteria: discussion questions and class participation.
Discussion Questions (5%) – Each Tuesday class you are asked to bring in one or two discussion
questions based on that week’s assigned reading. The purpose of these questions is to ensure
that everyone completes the assigned reading and that I am covering the material each of you
is interested in. We will answer them together as the class proceeds.
Class Participation (5%) – Each individual is expected to be actively involved in class.
This means you should be asking questions, commenting when questions are asked, joining
class discussions, participating in class activities, etc. Moreover, when you do participate in
class, I expect everyone’s comments to be made in a respectful manner. There will undoubtedly
be some controversial issues that arise throughout the semester, and in order for everyone to
feel comfortable to voice their opinions on these issues, each of us has a responsibility to make
our remarks constructive, conscientious, and respectful of other’s feelings.
Weekly Presentations – 20% of the final grade:
You will be assigned to groups of two or three and together, you will focus on a country and
become an expert on that country. Every Thursday, you will answer a question about that
country, present your findings in class and submit your response for grading. The paper should
not be less than two pages typed double space 12 font Times New Roman.
Midterm Exam – 30% of the final grade:
The midterm will take place October 24th and will cover the chapter covered up to that point.
Research Paper and Presentation – (40% of final grade:
The largest part of your grade (40%) will be a research paper and presentation. The purpose of
the paper is to teach each of you to use relevant political information about a country to
diagnose developmental problems facing that country, determine the causes of the problems,
and suggest potential solutions to them.
Country History: This should include a description of:
• the relevant colonial history
• the legacy of colonialism for your country
• the independence movement
• any other historical circumstances which have shaped your country
Current Circumstances: This should include a description of:
• the current political system, including the country’s regime-type
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• the current economic situation
• the current social situation
• any other current political circumstances that make your country part of the developing
world
Description of the Problems: A description of three major problems your country faces on its
path to development. The problems you choose may or may not be one of the developmental
problems we will discuss in class. In your description of the problems, you should:
• identify the problems
• discuss the consequences of the problems including why that problems are barriers for
your country’s political development
• explain the cause of the problem
• explain any solutions that have already been tried in attempt to solve the problems
Solution(s) to the Problems: This part should:
• clearly lay out the steps involved in your solutions
• explain why your solution (s) will work
• provide an argument for why your solution (s) is/are better than others’ solutions
• describe of any foreseeable side-effects or consequences of your solution(s)
Paper Presentations: Presentation will be held in the last week of classes and your presentation
will be approximately 10 minutes with another 2-5 minutes for questions/comments from your
classmates. In your presentation, you should feel free to highlight any interesting/important
acts from your country but, since you have a very limited amount of time, focus primarily on
the problem, its causes, and your solution. Your presentation will be graded based on your
ability to clearly present the information from your paper and respond to the questions and
comments from the class.
Please be sure to cite all of your sources. Plagiarism is prohibited in this class and by the
University. You may use the APA style in citing and references or any other style you are
familiar with as long as you are consistent in using it. You should not have less than five
references. Try not to use non-peer reviewed sources. Get books relevant to your country and
journal articles from peer reviewed academic journals.
3) Other class requirements & policies:
a) Attendance: You are expected to come to class on time, having previously done the assigned
reading for that day and prepared to discuss it.
b) Late work will be reduced one letter grade per day, and missed exams or quizzes will receive
a zero, unless there is a legitimate documented excuse.
c) Communications:
You are responsible for regularly checking your email account at http://my.emich.edu, where
you may occasionally receive announcements and materials relevant to the class.
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e) Electronics:
Please turn off cell phones and pagers during class. Sending or receiving text messages during
class is rude and distracting, and you may be asked to leave the classroom. You should not
use laptops or tablets during class.
a) Special Needs Accommodations
“If you wish to be accommodated for your disability, EMU Board of Regents Policy 8.3 requires
that you first register with the Students with Disabilities Office (SDO) in 240 EMU Student
Center. You may contact SDO by telephone (734.487.2470). Students with disabilities are
encouraged to register with the SDO promptly as you will only be accommodated from the date
you register with them forward. No retroactive accommodations are possible. The Students
with Disabilities Office, 240 EMU Student Center, or at http://www.emich.edu/drc can provide
you with detailed guidance.”
c) Academic dishonesty
“Academic dishonesty, including all forms of cheating, falsification, and/or plagiarism, will not
be tolerated in this course. Penalties for an act of academic dishonesty may range from
receiving a failing grade for a particular assignment to receiving a failing grade for the entire
course. In addition, you may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community
Standards for discipline that can result in either a suspension or permanent dismissal. The
Student Conduct Code contains detailed definitions of what constitutes academic dishonesty but
if you are not sure about whether something you are doing would be considered academic
dishonesty, consult with the course instructor.”
For more detailed information on what is plagiarism and how to avoid it, see:
http://www.emich.edu/library/help/integratingsources.php
Course readings are contained in the following books, available at any of the bookstores that
serve the EMU campus or from online booksellers (such as amazon.com or half.com):
Achebe, Chinua. A Man of the People. (N.Y.: Anchor Books, 1989).
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. (N.Y. Anchor Books 1994
Kesselman, M, Joel Krieger, & Willam A. Joseph. Introduction to Politics of the Developing
World. 6th edition. Boston MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
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CLASS SCHEDULE
Week of Sept 2.
Introduction to the course and a walk through the course outline.
PART I: WHAT IS THE DEVELOPING WORLD?
Week of Sept. 9 Comparing “Worlds”: Poverty and Development
Kesselman, pp. 13-19
Kesselman, pp. 20-33
Sen, A. (1983) “Development: Which way now?” The Economic Journal, 93:745-762.
Emmanuel A. 1974. “Myths of development and the myths of underdevelopment." New
Left Review, 85, p. 61-82.
Essay Question: Describe and discuss the current state of poverty/development of your
country.
Week of Sept. 16 Contending Theories of Economic & Political Development
Portes, A., 1974. “Modernity and Development: A Critique,” Studies in Comparative
International Development, 9, pp. 247-279.
Dos Santos, T. 1970. “The Structure of Dependence” The American Economic Review,
231-236.
Litonjua, M. D. Third world/global south: from modernization, to
dependency/liberation, to postdevelopment. Journal of Third World Studies, 29, pp. 2556
Essay Question: Describe and discuss the development path that your country pursued soon
after independence.
PART II: NATION-STATES AND IDENTITY IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Week of Jan. 23 Imperialism, National Liberation, and Neocolonialism
Achebe, A Man of the People pp. 1-26
Achebe, Things Fall Apart – all of it.
Achebe, pp. A Man of the People pp. 27-56
Mahoney, James. 2003. “Long-Run Development and the Legacy of Colonialism in
Spanish America” The American Journal of Sociology, 109, pp. 50-74,
Essay Question: What were the effects of colonialism on your country? Give relevant examples.
Week of Sept.30 The Politics of Religion
Al Stepan and Graeme Robertson, “An Arab More than a Muslim Democracy Gap,”
Journal of Democracy (July 2003) and “Arab, Not Muslim, Exceptionalism.” Journal of
Democracy (October 2004).
Sanford Lakoff, “The Reality of Muslim Exceptionalism,” Journal of Democracy (October
2004).
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Burdick, J. 1994. “The Progressive Catholic Church in Latin America.” Latin America
Research Review. 24, pp. 184-198.
Question: How does religion manifest in your country? What is the impact of religion on politics
in your country?
Week of Oct 7 Ethnicity and Nationalisms
Donald Horowitz, 1993. “Democracy in Divided Societies,” Journal of Democracy
William Easterly and Ross Levine. 1997. “Africa’s Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic
Divisions,” Quarterly Journal of Economics 112: 4, pp. 1203-1223.
Arend Lijphart, 2004. “Constitutional Design in Divided Societies,” Journal of Democracy
Ethnic nationalism in the Middle East – readings to follow.
Essay Question: What is the ethnic composition of your country? Has your country experienced
ethnic, civil or nationalist war since independence? If yes, what were the causes of such wars? If
no, why not?
Week of Oct 14 Civil Society, Women, and Development
Achebe, A Man of the People pp. 57-75
Jason Brownlee,2008. “Bound to Rule: Party Institutions and Regime Trajectories in
Malaysia and the Philippines,” Journal of East Asian Studies 8 pp.
Collins, Kathleen, 2007. “Ideas, Networks, and Islamic Movements: Evidence from
Central Asia and the Caucus,” World Politics, 60 pp. 64-96.
Roy, Indrajit, 2008. “Civil Society and Good Governance: (Re-) Conceptualizing the
Interface,” World Development, 36 pp. 677-705.
Essay Question: What is the role of civil society in your country? Give relevant example.
PART III SOCIO-ECONOMIC PATTERNS
Week of Oct.22 Urbanization and Urban Issues
Achebe, A Man of the People pp. 76-95
Bhattacharya, P. C 2002. “Urbanisation in Developing Countries” Economic and Political
Weekly, 37 pp. 4219-4228
Tahire, E and Eken Aslyhan. 2004. “The ‘Other of the Other’ and ‘unregulated
territories’ in the urban periphery: gecekondu violence in the 2000s with a focus on the
Esenler case, Istanbul” Cities 21 pp. 57-68
MIDTERM EXAM THURSDAY OCT. 24
Week of Oct. 28 Corruption, Structural Adjustment, and Economic Reform
Mungiu, Alina. 2006. “Corruption: Diagnosis and Treatments.” Journal of Democracy, 17,
pp. 86-99.
Collier, Paul and Willem Jan Gunning. 1999. “Why Has Africa Grown Slowly?” Journal of
Economic Perspectives 13, pp. 3-22.
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Mahoney, J. 2001. “Path Dependent Explanations of Regime Change: Central America
in Comparative Perspective,” Studies in Comparative International Development, 36, pp.
111-141.
Onis, Z. and F. Senses. 2005. Rethinking the Emerging Post-Washington Consensus”
Development and Change, 36, pp. 263-290.
Balassa, B., 1988. “The Lessons of East Asian Development: An Overview,” Economic
Development and Cultural Change, 36, pp. 273-290.
Essay Question: What are the major economic challenges being faced by your country?
Discuss the role and performance of structural adjustment and economic reform programs
in your country.
Week of Nov. 4 Revolutionary Change
James, C. D. 1962. Toward a Theory of Revolution. American Sociological Review, 27, pp.
Calvert, P. 1967. Revolution: The Politics of Violence. Political Studies, 15, pp.
Tilly, C. 1974. Does Modernization Breed Revolution? Comparative Politics, 5, pp. 425447.
Arab Spring?
Essay Question: Has your country experienced a revolution? What type and what were the
consequences?
Week of Nov 11 The Military and Politics
McGowan, P. J. 2003. African Military Coup D’etat, 1956-2001: Frequency, Trends and
Distribution. Journal of Modern African Studies, 41, pp.
Dix, R. H. 1994. “Military Coups and Military Rule in Latin America.” Armed Forces and
Society, 20, pp. 439-456
Croissant, A. 2013. “ Coups and Post-coups Politics in South-East Asia and the Pacific:
Conceptual and Comparative Perspectives.” Australian Journal of International Affairs,
67, pp. 264-280.
Essay Question: What has been the role of the military in your country since independence?
Give examples.
Week of Nov. 18 Transitions from Authoritarian Rule
Schmitter, Philippe, and Terry Lynn Karl. 1991. “What Democracy Is…And Is Not.”
Journal of Democracy. 2, pp. 75-88.
Schedler, Andreas. 1998. “What is Democratic Consolidation?” Journal of Democracy. 9,
pp. 91-107.
Achebe, A Man of the People pp. 96 – 150
Essay Question: Has your country undergone democratic transition in the last 20 years?
Illustrate your answer.
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PART IV: RETHINKING POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT MODELS
Week of Nov. 26 States, Markets, and Globalization
Escobar, Arturo, 1992. “Reflections on ‘Development’: Grassroots approaches and
alternative politics in the Third World,” Futures, 24, pp. 411-436.
Guillen, M. F. 2001. “Is Globalization Civilizing, Destructive or Feeble?” Annual Review of
Sociology, 27, pp. 235-260.
Wade, R. 2004. “Is Globalization Reducing Poverty and Inequality?” World Development,
32, pp. 567-589.
Thursday Nov. 28 No Class – Happy Thanksgiving
Week of Dec. 2 Individual Presentations
Week of Dec. 9 Individual Presentations
Final Paper Due:
Tuesday December 17, 2013 @ 10:30 am (my office). Papers MUST NOT be emailed.