POLS 387-01: States and Markets
Course Description:
This course investigates and problematizes the role of the state in promoting rapid economic growth and development. Specifically, students will focus on understanding and critiquing the fierce debate between developmental state theorists, neo-liberal economists, and the market-enhancing synthesizers. The course will deal alternately with different specific cases and countries, including the Tiger Economies and the Big Emerging Asian Markets.
The key questions we will examine are: What is the proper relationship between states and markets in promoting economic development? What is a developmental state? Under what conditions do successful developmental states emerge? What is the evidence that developmental states promote economic growth? What are alternate explanations for rapid economic growth in the emerging market economies? Are the Tiger Economies of East Asia a “model” for other developing countries?
By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and critique the positions of developmental state theorists, neo-liberal economists, and the market-enhancing synthesizers on the proper relationship between state and market in emerging economies. Students will have an in depth understanding of the political economy of three case studies.
The course is cross-listed with the International Relations program and Asian Studies. The course may be counted toward the completion of Goal 7: Acquiring a critical knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures.
Course Format:
The course centers on a critical discussion of eight books. Students are expected to come prepared to discuss the readings. Grades will be based on a take-home mid-term essay (35%), and a final paper (45%). The twenty-five page final paper must incorporate a comparison of all four case studies. Active and thoughtful participation will comprise the remaining portion (20%) of the grade. Students will be asked to sign-up and lead critical discussions (no summaries) of the assigned text for each session.
Texts:
The following texts are required for the course. A copy of each book will also be ordered and placed on reserve in the library. In order to facilitate discussion, please bring a copy of the text (or a photocopy of the relevant chapters) to each class session.
Required:
- Chalmers Johnson, MITI and the Japanese Miracle, Stanford.
- Jennifer Amyx, Japan’s Financial Crisis, Princeton.
- Meredith Woo-Cummings, ed. The Developmental State, Cornell.
- Robert Wade, Governing the Market, Princeton.
- Masahiko Aoki, et al., eds. The Role of Government in East Asian Economic Development, Oxford.
- Ha-Joon Chang, Bad Samaritans, Bloomsbury.
- Atul Kohli, State-Directed Development, Cambridge.
- Vivek Chibber, Locked in Place, Princeton.
Additional readings will be supplied via e-mail or through the JSTOR database.
Office Hours:
My official office hours are on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. However, students should feel free to drop by my office anytime between 9-5 Tuesday - Friday. My public calendar is available on-line: http://people.hws.edu/vyadav/calendar.html. If I am away from my office, feel free to call me on my mobile phone to set up a convenient time and place on campus to meet. You are welcome to call me on the cell phone anytime between 9am to 9pm. I also check my e-mail frequently, so feel free to drop a note if you prefer.
Disability Statement:
A Note about the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL): Hobart and William Smith Colleges encourages students to seek the academic collaboration and resources that will enable them to demonstrate their best work. Students who would like to enhance their study skills, writing skills, or have other academic inquiries should contact the CTL. You may visit the CTL web site to learn more about the services and programs that are available.
http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx
If you are a student with a disability for which you need or may need accommodations, you should self-identify and register for disability related services with the Coordinator of Disability Services at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). You will then be required to provide for review documentation of your disability to that office. Disability related accommodations and services generally will not be provided until the registration and documentation process is complete. The guidelines for documenting disabilities can be found at the following website: http://www.hws.edu/disabilities