1. Politics of the Third World

2. Third World countries

3. 5 most important issues facing the Third World today poverty
developing countries
globalization
weak state
ethnicity
environment

4. Why study the Third World?
Interdependence and globalization
most of the world
population
area
most of the natural resources
raw materials and energy resources
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

5. Why study the Third World?
Western role in creating and sustaining some of the problems in the Third World

6. Why study the Third World?
We ignore the Third World at our peril

7. Millennium Development Goals
In 2000 the UN Millennium Declaration was adopted at the largest-ever gathering of heads of state

8. Millennium Development Goals
eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
achieve universal primary education
promote gender equality
reduce child mortality
improve maternal health
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc.
ensure environmental sustainability
global partnership for development

9. Poverty & economic growth

10. Poverty & economic growth

12. Imperialism & Third World
European colonial expansion for 300 years
most colonies are independent after WWII

13. political legacies traditional polity and “modern” state
state boundaries drawn to suit colonizers

14. economic legacies “dependency” theory foreign trade structure
“core” vs. “periphery”
foreign trade structure

15. Types of state strong states weak states failed states
multi-party democracies
single-party regimes
military regimes
personal dictatorships
failed states

16. Levels of democracy
The “third wave of democratization”

17. State & economic development
weaknesses in physical and human infrastructure
political instability harms investment and consumption
political allocation of scarce resources
weak and ineffective state institutions to implement economic policies
widespread corruption

18. International financial institution
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
headquarters in Washington D.C.
voting weight proportional to fund contribution
IMF loans are subject to conditionality
acceptance of structural adjustment (liberalization)
privatization
reduce inflation
cut debt

19. World Trade Organization
lower tariffs and ease other trade barriers

20. Foreign aid