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The Politics of Development

Module description

This module will introduce you to the politics of development focusing on theories and experiences from across the Global South. The module is structured around main themes (theoretical approaches to the politics of development, domestic factors, institutions, and international factors) which provide a comparative perspective on the politics of development. The module provides an introduction to contemporary research on the politics of development, covering issues such as colonialism, political parties, political systems, civil conflict, gender and inequality, international financial institutions, poverty, foreign aid and democratization, populism and leadership.

This module is suitable for specialist and non-specialist alike.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to provide you with a general introductory survey of the politics of development, focusing on various theories as well as experiences from across the Global South, i.e., covering Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa. The module will introduce you to the major theoretical debates in international development and the implications of different development definitions, as well as covering the core challenges of development and the role played by political institutions (domestic and international). Upon completion of the module, you will be equipped with an understanding of the effects of international aid as well as be able to situate development challenges within core international debates on development. The module furthermore provides a good foundation for further study of development and foreign assistance, such as e.g. authoritarian resilience and democracy support as well as, of course, studies of the Global South in general.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories of the politics of development as well as the main forces, trends and characteristics of the domestic and international factors at play;
• 2. place contemporary political events in social and historical contexts and appreciate the role political institutions might play for development as well as understand some of the core challenges of development;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. relate political issues and trends to economic, societal and cultural dynamics, and to comprehend the interplay between these at the domestic and international levels;
• 4. relate socio-political and socio-economic phenomena at the local and international level;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. synthesize information from various sources into a coherent written argument displaying an understanding of the core debates around international development aid;
• 6. demonstrate good oral and written communication skills
• 7. demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

• Modernization theory and dependency theory
• Structuralism and political development
• The Washington consensus and poverty
• Domestic factors (culture, religion, inequality, civil conflict)
• International factors (colonialism, democratization, international financial institutions)
• Political systems (political parties, parliamentarism/presidentialism, populism, leadership)
• Essay workshop

Each week we will also cover a specific country case study. We will research and analyze the core development challenges of that country and the country's background for context.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Arora-Jonsson, Seema (2022) ‘The sustainable development goals: A universalist promise for the future’, Futures 146. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2022.103087
• Chandra, Siddarth and Nita Rudra (2015) 'Reassessing the links between regime type and economic performance: Why some authoritarian regimes show stable grown and others do not', British Journal of Political Science 45(2): 253-85.
• Hutchcroft, Paul (1997) 'The politics of privilege: assessing the impact of rents, corruption and clientelism on Third World development', Political Studies 45(3): 639-58.
• Lancaster, Carol and Nicolas van de Walle (2018) The Oxford Handbook of the Politics of Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Lange, Matthew (2004) 'British colonial legacies and political development', World Development 32(6): 905-22.
• Mcloughlin, Claire, Sameen Ali, Kailing Xie, Nic Cheeseman and David Hudson (eds) (2024) The Politics of Development. London: Sage.
• Mkandawire, Thandika (2013) 'Neopatrimonialism and the political economy of economic performance in Africa: Critical reflections', World Politics, pp. 1-50.
• Welzel, Christian, Ronald Inglehart and Hans-Dieter Klingemann (2003) 'The theory of human development: a cross-cultural analysis', European Journal of Political Research 42(3): 341-79.

Key words search

Development, aid, poverty, politics, inequality, colonialism, Global South