PUBPOL 676 - International Politics of Poverty and Development

This course examines alternative approaches to the study of poverty and development. Attention is directed primarily to problems confronted in the global South, with some comparative perspective on Western industrialized countries. Policy choices are considered in view of the opportunities offered and constraints imposed by aid agencies and international organizations. This course provides a graduate-level, policy-oriented introduction to issues and problems in the area of international development. It exposes students contending approaches to international development/poverty, with the intent of helping them think critically and inspect the assumptions that underlie the various studies. A substantial portion of the course will be spent looking at questions surrounding politics and policies of bilateral and multilateral aid programs.