Political economy of developing countries

Fall 2022

Course No. 37086 | OL2 session: October 17-December 16

This class examines one of the big questions of social science: why are some countries rich and others poor? Nowadays, this is a timely question because most countries in the world fall under the "poor" category, also known as the "developing" world. From a more historical angle, this is also a consequential question because so-called "developing" countries continually face various political, economic, and social challenges that are not easy to overcome, thus raising additional questions. Is it possible for developing countries to become more developed? If so, what are the main factors that promote or prevent development?

This class offers a comparative perspective on developing countries through the lens of Political Economy. Our comparative perspective draws from Comparative Politics, the branch of Political Science that examines domestic features of political systems. For this class, we won't compare all countries in the world, but rather focus on "developing countries" with a cross-country approach that emphasizes contemporary evidence, but we will also study selected case studies with added historical background.

In turn, Political economy is an umbrella term for various approaches that include a joint examination of political and economic factors. Scholars think that these combined approaches offer more realistic assessments of how societies evolve over time. On the one hand, all political systems produce intentional and unintentional impacts on economic performance. For example, this class will examine a related inquiry about the corresponding ability of democratic and non-democratic regimes to promote economic growth. On the other hand, economic outcomes can have a separate impact on political outcomes. In the short run, for instance, election and reelection of public officials is more likely when the economy is doing well. Over long periods of time, the interaction of politics and economics can produce both positive and negative feedback loops. For example, a persistent inability to jump start a healthy economy might translate into political instability that prevents development.

Modules

This course is organized into four bi-weekly modules that gradually build up knowledge of key concepts and theories of comparative politics.

overview of developing countries
Weeks 1-2
The first module has two goals. First, students will learn how comparativists compare countries, especially in terms of political features and socioeconomic outcomes. Second, students will learn a framework to examine potential causes of underdevelopment across the World.
international factors
Weeks 3-4
In this second module, students will examine the role of international factors in shaping domestic political and economic developments. Besides examining causal impacts, students will learn critical institutional features of the global economy that affect all contemporary societies
institutional factors
Weeks 5-6
This is a core module that connects politics and economics. Here, students will learn about different approaches that governments can undertake to promote better developmental outcomes. Students will also learn how political institutions impact the incentives of societies to attain desirable developmental outcomes.
the natural world
Weeks 7-8
In this final module, we examine a rival explanation to conventional accounts that international actors or poor political institutions cause underdevelopment. In a first chapter, we examine the historical role of geography in enabling or disabling better developmental outcomes. A final chapter concludes with ongoing debates about current and future environmental concerns that can worsen the situation of developing countries.

Learning outcomes

This is a self-paced course offered by IU Online for students enrolled in either the Graduate Certificate or Master of Arts program in Political Science.

The course has a scaffolding structure that facilitates learning from a beginner’s perspective. By the end of the term, students will be able to

Describe main economic, political, and social characteristics of developing countries
Describe conventional cross-country indicators for international comparisons
Examine contemporary theories about the causes of development and underdevelopment
Examine how different political institutions affect economic performance and vice versa
Examine the historical role of geography in shaping developmental pattern
Describe contemporary policy debates about causes of and solutions to underdevelopment

Detailed learning outcomes for each module appear later under the Course Schedule.

Requirements

This is a “hands-on” class with flexible learning paths to successfully complete this course. Built-in flexibility manifests in two ways, both within and across modules. First, each module will contain two main types of assessments: (1) foundational learning targets anchored around key concepts and theories; and (2) several challenge tasks that entail more advanced writing, analytical, and teaching practicum activities. Second, the last module enables additional flexibility to pursue individual learning goals by choosing a special topic and set of countries—from available textbook content.

This class will implement a specifications (specs) grading strategy to assess each foundational and challenge task as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Learning bundles of satisfactory completions determine course grades.

With this grading scheme, you can choose a target grade and calculate your expected workload for the whole 8-week session. You can then figure out a pace that works for you. For example, if your target grade is an A, you could plan to complete one weekly discussion participation, one quiz, and one challenge task each week.

Enrolled students can see detailed requirements and grading policies through our Canvas site.

Materials

For registered students, Canvas will give you access to the following etext:

Baker, Andy (2021). Shaping the Developing World, 2nd edition. (Washington, DC: CQ Press). ISBN 9781071807071

Other readings and links to supplementary materials will be available online through our Canvas site.

Questions about this class?

Please send me an e-mail message to arazo AT indiana DOT edu

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