Chris Blattman

Chris Blattman

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My Political Economy of Development exam for SIPA Master’s students

pacon-bb7816-examination-book-pic1Below are 7 sample essay questions, some with multiple parts. The actual exam will present you with 4 of these questions. You will be asked to answer your choice of 3, longhand, in exam booklets.

You will be allowed to bring in one 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with whatever you want on it. It can be handwritten or machine produced. It can be a picture of a puppy if you like.

Your answers should draw as much as possible on the course material, referencing the ideas and authors as clearly as possible.

  1. Sources in the Obama administration have said that he will devote a part of his post-presidential years to the issue of “African governance.” One of his aides asks you draw on what you have learned in your course to write a memo outlining: (a) some of the crucial things he needs to understand about good governance in developing countries; (b) what policies he could focus on to be most effective; (c) whether he should focus on democratization; and (d) pitfalls and unintended consequences he should keep in mind.
  2. We’ve been talking about some of the parallels between weak states and bandits in European history, as well as modern day state-building in Liberia or Afghanistan. What do you think are some of the main similarities and differences between historic processes of state-building and modern ones?
  3. Make an argument for how more Western imperialism in the 21st century would lead to better development outcomes in the world’s poorest states. Then highlight at least three drawbacks to this argument. (Note: a good answer will be very clear about what you mean by imperialism and what development outcomes are important.)
  4. Name four policies (domestic or international) that, if implemented, could make autocratic states more responsive to their citizens. Argue each one using the Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (EVL) model, illustrating each one with the extensive form game, and illustrating the equilibrium in each case. Ideally, name at least one policy for each of E, V and L. Be sure to explain your reasoning.
  5. “The anti-corruption campaigns promoted by Western donors in developing countries are naïve, ignore the realities of local politics, and may even be harmful to these countries.” Discuss this question, explaining arguments for and against the statement.
  6. “War-making, autocracy, and elite deal-making were good for state-making in the last millennium. The experiences of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Iraq all show that war-making, autocracy, and elite deal-making can build stable states in this millennium too.” Discuss this question, explaining arguments for and against the statement.
  7. A new U.S. President will take office in less than a year. Their transition teams are already beginning to plan for the first 100 days. The team that is interested in reforming foreign aid turns to you for advice. What have you learned in this course that can guide their reforms of the U.S. system of foreign aid? In either case, assume the reformers/transition teams want the most effective aid policy, not the one that serves the national interest.If you prefer, you can write this memo instead to the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, who are embarking on a major foreign aid effort for the first time.

The syllabus is here.

29 Responses

  2. Q3. “Then highlight at least three drawbacks to this argument.” If I were taking the exam, I would be confused as to whether you’re asking after drawbacks to the imperialism argued for, or after weaknesses in the argument given for imperialism.

  3. Absolutely the best syllabus on this topic I’ve ever seen. Kudos for realizing that the students will be more likely to read things they can get on the net for free (pretty much). I’ll be downloading and using much of this material in my own courses. Thanks!

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