Weeks 5, 6,

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).

Input Conversion Conversion Output
Environment Environment ? Political System Political System ? Environment Environment

Feedback Feedback
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 individuals 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

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Synthesis of Development Policy Analysis
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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.

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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 doesnt 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.

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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 states development
  strategy. E.g. Indias 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.

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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.