IS 455 - Global Development

Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
Credit Hours: 3

A large group of developing countries hold three-quarters of the world’s population, but only one-fifth of global income - why are so few countries wealthy while so many more remain less developed? And amid all the technological and economic innovation of the last 150 years, how did Africa become the only continent to get poorer over the course of the 20th century? In this IS elective course, cadets evaluate various components of the “development gap” between the Global North and Global South, analyzing relationships between political institutions, geography, gender roles, religion and culture, and economic outcomes. We will assess three prominent classes of explanations for the growth of a development gap: legacies of Western colonialism and the slave trade, weak political institutions and bad governance within developing countries, and environmental or geographic coincidence. Throughout the semester, cadets will research these phenomena and evaluate competing explanations regarding a developing country of their choice, gaining both a deeper understanding of theories of development and their practical application. Finally, we consider trends in global development as they pertain to the evolution of the US’ perspectives on growth, aid and the ideology of liberal capitalist democracies; what, if anything should we do about underdevelopment?