Review

Political Economy of the Global SouthProf. Tyson Roberts

Economic and Political Outcomes as Destiny

• How does history and geography affect economic performance and political outcomes such as democracy?– Tropics => Poor economic growth– Plantation crop climates & mineral deposits => extractive

institutions => poor growth, dictatorship– Slavery exports => extractive institutions, ethnic

fractionalization => poor growth– Illegitimate borders & states => poor governance => poor

growth– Natural resource dependence => military coup risk

How can Global South nations take control of destiny to achieve prosperity, peace, & political freedom?

• Take advantage of critical junctures in history– Independence (Botswana)– Outside intervention (US South)– Death of dictator (China)– International events (end of Cold War, Arab

Spring)• Create/mobilize broad coalition for reform• Replace extractive institutions with inclusive

institutions

Examples

• What institutional reforms were instituted in Botswana, China, or US South? In other countries we’ve studied?

• What was the coalition in favor of those reforms?

Sample Essay Questions

• How do international economic relations affect economic development and democracy? – Address aid, debt, FDI, and trade– Give specific examples

• Draw on class readings to explain economic and political outcomes in Bolivia and Zaire, as portrayed in the films.– Use at least one major reading from before the

midterm and one after the midterm

Sample Essay Questions

• How does natural resource endowments and colonial history affect economic prosperity and democracy in the Global South?

• Why did many Global South governments use state-led development policies during the post-WW2 period and abandon those policies later? What were the economic and political results?

• How does the World Bank define “institutional quality”? What are some determinants and effects of good vs. poor institutional quality?

Same Essay Questions• What are some determinants, or requisites, of stable democracy,

and what are some of the effects of democracy (as opposed to dictatorship)? Provide examples from Zaire and Bolivia to illustrate some of your points, as well as at least one other country from the readings.

• How does the presence of a democratic regime affect low-income countries differently from high-income countries? Consider both economic and political outcomes.

• How does ethnic politics play a role in the success or failure of Global South countries? What do some countries have more trouble with ethnic politics than others? What are some of the outcomes of ethnic fractionalization? Explain the logic, and provide examples.

Same Essay Questions

• How do resource endowments and geography affect economics and politics in Global South countries? Consider both direct and indirect effects. How can countries escape their geography-driven “fate”? Provide examples.

• According to Huntington, “The most important political distinction among countries concerns not their form of government but their degree of government.” What does this mean? Do you agree with that statement, and why or why not? What are the pros and cons to citizens from living in a country with a high degree versus low degree of government?