Weeks 5, 6, & 8: Development Policy & Analysis

1. Weeks 5, 6, & 8: Development Policy & Analysis Peace Medie Monica Jacobo Suarez Brandon Boylan PIA 3395: Development Theory

2. The Golden Oldies Gabriel A. Almond & G. Bingham Powell, Jr. Comparative Politics: A Development Approach David Lerner The Passing of Traditional Society

3. Almond & PowellFunctional Approach to Comparative Politics The functional approach to comparative politics includes a separation of powers (legislation, administration, and adjudication). Authors add three other functions to this approach: interest articulation, interest aggregation, and communication. This new approach is called “conversion processes.”

4. Almond & PowellPolitical Systems “Government,” “state,” and “nation” are too parochial, static, and limited. “Political systems” is fluid, clear, and comprehensive and encompasses structure (observable actions) and culture (population traits).

5. David LernerModernizing styles of life: A theory • Attempt to apply modern techniques of social science to the study of the Middle East. • The challenge of modernization: Rationalist spirit Key concepts • Mobile personality and empathy (the ability to see oneself in the other individual’s situation). • Stages toward a modernizing participant society • Urbanization • Literacy • Media growth

6. David LernerModernizing styles of life: A Survey Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iran. Methods: • 1,600 interviews • Overrepresentation of movie-goers, radio listeners and newspaper readers. • Statistical analysis Who is changing, in what direction, at what rate? • The more modern individuals score higher in one or all of the next characteristics: opinion range, urbanization, literacy, media participation, and empathy. • Modern societies in the Middle East tend to be also more stable and dynamic. • Validity of the results?

7. David LernerRetrospect and Prospect Traditional society is passing from the Middle East because few want to live by its rules The media is engaging empathy among Middle Easterners Transitionals seek modernization but rigid societal structures hinder their mobility and cause some to become violent Middle East is diverse and a collective Pan-Islam identity is not viable, the key is modernization

8. David LernerRetrospect and Prospect Contd. Middle East is in need of a “great rational prophecy” that will show how Islam can be made compatible with secular doctrines Spokesmen (transitionals) are needed to define the new identity but Western educated Middle Easterners are stifled by rivalries Modernization aims to create a Middle Sector (Transitionals). Governments should also create conditions that reward new lifestyle

10. Synthesis of Development Policy & Analysis

11. Themes 1) Government in Development: The government has a role to play in fostering development. 2) Policymaking: Policy analysts need to consider contextual differences when assigning recommendations. 3) Development Analysis: Development theories need to have theoretical coherence and clear, basic concepts to have power. 4) Civil Society: Northern NGOs need to better understand the issues of their Southern counterparts and NGOs need to keep a healthy distance from their governments.

12. Government in Development • Turner and Hulme • The existence of effective public sector organizations is a key facet to promote development in developing countries. Although, organizational improvement doesn’t guarantee development. • Lerner • Government fosters development, pushing society through the stages of modernization. Urbanization, literacy, and communication media bring about emphatic individuals, which move out of traditional settings towards modernization. • Ferguson • Lesotho is a case study to exemplify how the World Bank can misrepresents a developing country and how governments can misuse NGOs and other development projects for their own benefit.

13. Government in Development • Martinussen • Government action is needed to create an environment that fosters economic development • Inequality within and between states is a source of conflict and development can be a peace-promoting process • Armament can become part of a state’s development strategy. E.g. India’s nuclear program

14. Policymaking • Turner and Hulme • Donors play a crucial role shaping policy-making in developing countries. Often, the policies adopted have been dysfunctional because donors disregard contextual differences. • Almond and Powell • A political system consists of interacting roles, structures, and subsystems, and of underlying psychological propensities which affect these interactions. To compare political systems, one must understand inputs, conversion processes, outputs, and feedback loops. • Isbister • Northern states should acknowledge that their levels of consumption are unsustainable and make development impossible. They should pursue development policies in the South that are less predatory and self-interested.

15. Development Analysis • Leys, chapter 2 • UDT are not useful for development analysis today due to their conceptual imprecision and lack of theoretical coherence. UDT result from a very specific historical period. Because UDT constitute a particular form of political practice, they are not functional for current analysis.

16. Civil Society • Clark • Northern NGOs need to develop new lobbying techniques to help their Southern counterparts. • A blend of academia and NGO officials’ experiences should provide the basis for effective advocacy. • Good lobbying demands choosing the issue carefully, constructing the expert case, and generating public support. • Dolan • British NGOs often enter into competition, rather than collaboration. • NGOs, fearing that they may lose their charitable status, do not fully engage or challenge governmental institutions.