Political Science

Sustainably Report (100 Points)

Imagine that you are an executive with a multinational corporation that wants to open a manufacturing facility in an underdeveloped country. You have been assigned the responsibility of preparing a report on the suitability of a particular country for investment. Your company is concerned with the investment climate in this country but is equally interested in the political stability, social and cultural environment since it will be making a substantial financial commitment. Your corporation views this as not only an opportunity to make a profit, but also as a humanitarian effort to help improve the standard of living in a lesser developed country.                                                                                                                                         For your Portfolio Project, select a country in Africa, Asia or South America and study that country in depth, applying concepts covered throughout the course. Also, select a film (possibly a documentary or YouTube video) or identify a website that provides at least three different pages about your country. You will review this video or text for the Week 4 Critical Thinking Assignment.

Prepare a detailed report for your Board of Directors that includes the following information:

General information:

· Population of the country (see 1 below for more information)

· Important ethnic or racial groups and divisions

· Per  capita gross domestic product  (see 2 below for more information)

· UN Human Development Index rankings (see 2 below for more information)

· Freedom House scores for political rights and civil liberties (see 3 below for more information)

· The economic position of your country compared to other countries (wealthy, poor, middle income)

Classification and structure of government

· Liberal democracy, illiberal democracy, authoritarian regime?

· Philosophers or thinkers who have influenced the political history and development of the system of government

· Presidential, parliamentary or other system?

· Who is the head of government?

· Electoral system:  how are legislators selected? How is the executive elected or chosen?  How is the bureaucracy staffed?

· What is the highest level of the judiciary? Does judicial review exist?

· Is your country a federal or unitary system?  How are policies administered in your country?

· Is there a written constitution?  How old is it?  Is it considered to be effective? Does it have the support of the people?  

· How much control does government exercise of the economy?

Competition, stability and civil society

· Number and strength of political parties

· Major conflicts between parties (liberal, conservative, left-right, ethnicity, etc.)

· Voting behavior – if your country is a democracy, what is the turnout for elections?  Is voting compulsory?  (See 4 below for more information)

· What are the results of the most recent election?  When is the next national election?

· Are there any recent political changes?

· Major social movements?

Economic environment

· Suitability of the country for foreign investment

· Government policy toward foreign investment

· Challenges and potential obstacles

· Advantages to foreign investment in this country

Other questions

· Most important political, economic, environmental and human rights issues facing your country

· Is your country in conflict with its neighbors or other countries?

· What are its relations with major global powers – the US, Europe, China, etc.?

Use these links and related links presented in the modules to find the information for your country:

· Data can be accessed through the World Bank website:  http://www.worldbank.org/

· Data can be found on the website of the UN Human Development Report:  http://hdr.undp.org/en/2013-report

· Data on political freedom available at:  Freedom House .  There is an interactive map on the home page; you can find information about your country using this map.

· Data on turnout available on the website of the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance:  http://www.idea.int/index.cfm .   On the Publication and resources tab, click Databases and networks. Then select the Voter turnout link under the Data and Statistics list, and click Voter Turnout. Using the interactive map, input your country name to determine the voter turnout for your country. 

Discuss and cite at least 10 credible sources other than required course readings. The CSU-Global Library is an excellent place to search for scholarly sources. Provide a References page of the sources you used to prepare your report. A Reference page should list the sources cited within the paper. Your paper should be 8-10 pages in length, well written, and formatted per  CSU-Global guidelines for APA Style.