This module will examine how ideas about development help us understand the various ways the world is divided into rich and poor. We will critically examine the idea that the world can be understood as composed of the rich, industrialised “developed” countries (or global “North”) and the poorer “majority world” (or global “South”), and – using a critical approach to the processes of development – we will emphasize the interaction of politics with society, culture and economics.

This module deals with the empirical reality, theory, and current governance problems of development, poverty, and inequality. Specifically, throughout the course we will investigate the influence of colonialism, state capacity, regime type, war and conflict, accountability, social structures (ethnicity and gender), and corruption on economic development. This module engages with both economic theory regarding development and political science research that highlights the challenges to implementing the policies that would lead to economic development. The main objective of the module is to introduce students to the main debates in the political economic of development field and the various strategies to promote development. Over the duration of the module, students will learn to critically apply different theoretical perspectives on development to a range of contemporary substantive issues that are relevant to international public policy and development.

The module will begin with an introduction to the main challenges to development from a variety of theoretical perspectives. We will then focus on the role of institutions and policy in promoting and hindering economic development. The module will then explore the relationship between ethnic diversity and gender and economic development and the ways in which war and development influence each other. The last two weeks of the module will then investigate the role of aid and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in promoting economic development.

Students are encouraged to have taken an introductory module in comparative politics before enrolling in this module -- e.g., POLS0002 Democracy & Authoritarianism (compulsory for PIR students), POLS0006 Introduction to Politics (compulsory for PPE students), or equivalent.

Please note that POLS0021 is an advanced Political Science module. Its delivery is based on the assumption that you are familiar with concepts and theories central to the field. If this is not the case, you may find additional background reading necessary to appropriately engage with the module material. The following texts are recommended:

Sen, A.K. (1999) Development as Freedom (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Banerjee, A. V. and Duflo, E. (2012). Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. New York: Public Affairs.

Easterly, W. (2002). The Elusive Quest for Growth. MIT Press.

You may also want to look at the POLS0021 reading list from last year (accessible via the UCL Library) to get an idea of the readings and topics covered in the module itself.