Module 4 Contemporary Models of Development and Underdevelopment
Module 4 Contemporary Models of Development and Underdevelopment
Module Contributors
Timeframe: Students are expected to finish all the activities, assignments, and
assessments of this module in one week.
Introduction/Overview.
After more than a half century of experience with attempting to encourage modern
development, we have learned that development is both possible and extremely difficult to
achieve. Thus, an improved understanding of impediments and catalysts of development is of
INTRODUCTION
the utmost importance. Since the late 1980s, significant strides have been made in the
analysis of economic development and underdevelopment. In some cases, ideas of the
classic theories reviewed in Chapter 3 have been formalized, and in the process, their logical
structure and their significance for policy have been clarified and refined.
At the same time, the analysis has also led to entirely new insights into what makes
development so hard to achieve (as witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa) but also possible to
achieve (as witnessed in East Asia).
In this chapter, we review a sample of some of the most influential of the new models of
economic development, But greater understanding itself improvements in developing strategy.
1. What role do you think international trade and foreign investment can play in solving some
of the problems identified in the big push model? In the O-ring model? What limitations to your
arguments can you think of?
2. The word trap suggests that there may be a way to escape. Do you think developing
ASSIGNMENT
countries can escape all of the traps described in this chapter? Which ones would be most
difficult to escape? How could the developed world be of assistance in these cases? Could
developed countries do more?
3. Why might high levels of inequality lead to lower rates of growth and development? Why
might it be difficult to get out of this kind of trap?
4. Why is the government sometimes a part of the problem of coordination failure rather than
the solution? Does this make the problem hopeless? What could be done in this case?
5. One of the characteristics of some developing economies is the relatively low level of trust
of
people outside one’s extended family. How might the models explored in this chapter shed
light on this problem?
6. Can you think of an example of O-ring production from everyday life? Do you think your
example is a good metaphor for development problems?
IDENTIFICATION
Other References:
1. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/developed-economy.asp