political science

Chapter 9. Development: Myths and Realities

Learning Objectives

· 1Explain the concept of development in the study of politics and economics.

· 2Discuss the challenges involved in building a new nation-state.

· 3Compare and evaluate India and Nigeria as models of economic development.

· 4Identify and elaborate on five obstacles to development.

· 5Choose one failed state, describe how it failed, and analyze the failure.

· 6Explain why failed states pose problems for regional stability and world order.

This chapter focuses on the problems arising in the context of too little development too late, rather than too much too soon. We use the term least developed countries (LDCs), a term adopted by the United Nations, instead of “developing countries” (see Table 9.1). LDCs encompass the poorest of the poor.

Table 9.1. 

The World’s Least Developed Countries*

Africa (33)
1	Angola
2	Benin
3	Burkina Faso
4	Burundi
5	Central African Republic
6	Chad
7	Comoros
8	Democratic Republic of the Congo
9	Djibouti
10	Equatorial Guinea
11	Eritrea
12	Ethiopia
13	Gambia
14	Guinea
15	Guinea-Bissau
16	Lesotho
17	Liberia
18	Madagascar
19	Malawi
20	Mali
21	Mauritania
22	Mozambique
23	Niger
24	Rwanda
25	São Tomé and Príncipe
26	Senegal
27	Sierra Leone
28	Somalia
29	Sudan
30	Togo
31	Uganda
32	United Republic of Tanzania
33	Zambia
Asia and Pacific (15)
1	Afghanistan
2	Bangladesh
3	Bhutan
4	Cambodia
5	Kiribati
6	Lao People’s Democratic Republic
7	Myanmar
8	Nepal
9	Samoa
10	Solomon Islands
11	Timor-Leste
12	Tuvalu
13	Vanuatu
14	Yemen
15	Maldives
Latin America and the Caribbean (1)
1	Haiti

SOURCE: United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries. http://www.unohrlls.org/en/home/.

During the second half of the last century, the West lumped Africa, Asia, and Latin America together into what was commonly called the Third World. In this narrative, the First World was epitomized by the United States, Western Europe and Japan, plus Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—rich countries with stable societies and well-established democratic political institutions. The citizens of these fortunate states were free to criticize the government. The communist states—Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe—comprised the Second World. All the rest were known as the Third World, collectively referred to as “underdeveloped” or “less developed” countries.

Today it is considered politically incorrect to use such pejorative terms. Indeed, the term “developing countries” is rarely used to describe the former colonies. Many of these countries now have diversified economies, meaning they are no longer simply agrarian or nomadic but have industries and service sectors as well. Indeed, major companies in the United States and Europe outsource manufacturing and services to China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia where labor costs (wages) are low.

In fact, all countries are developing, no matter how rich or how poor. Indeed, if some countries are not developed enough to sustain themselves, other countries are, arguably, not sustainable for the opposite reason: development driven by the latest advances in science and technology has given rise to major new problems and huge challenges (carbon pollution, climate change, pandemics, water wars, nuclear accidents, etc.).

By definition, LDCs display all or most of the following features: endemic poverty; ethnic, religious, or tribal conflict; widespread illiteracy; political turmoil; and glaring inequalities. Although the picture is changing in much of Asia and, to a lesser extent, in Latin America, many sub-Saharan African nations continue to face great obstacles on the path to full political, economic, and social development.

In the worst cases, the economy goes into a tailspin, the government collapses, societies erupt, and entire populations are plunged into