Unit 6: Conclusions from a Learning Diary

The last ten weeks have been very information and enlightening... is probably an understatement but that sums up my experience of Development Politics. Prior to doing this module I probably would have thought some of the following things: Political development is having peaceful elections and a political machinery which represents the interests of the people … Continue reading Unit 6: Conclusions from a Learning Diary →

Unit 1: What is Development Politics?

I learnt in an earlier module that the different approaches to development came about as theorists and practitioners identified what was missing from the previous approaches. Development politics seem to have suffered the same fate, entering the spotlight as concerns grew with the prevailing approaches to development. One wonders, what is this development politics? Fukuyama … Continue reading Unit 1: What is Development Politics? →

Unit 5: Social Movements, A Tool in the Arsenal of Political Agendas

Social movements are large and invariably informal groups, according to Menocal (2016, p.1), which unite against authority and power, in response to perceived wrongs or injustice (think the black lives matter movement in the US or the Tunisian man Mohamed Bouazizi who committed suicide by fire in protest). Tarrow (1994, p.6) equivalently notes that social … Continue reading Unit 5: Social Movements, A Tool in the Arsenal of Political Agendas →

Unit 4: Leakage of Progress via Corruption

According to Menocal et al., (2015, P.12), corruption is defined as “the misuse of resources or power for private gain”. Menocal et al., (2015,P.12) define political corruption as the abuse of office by those who make the “rules of the game”, distorting one of Fukuyama’s (2013) pillars of political development, the rule of law. Menocal … Continue reading Unit 4: Leakage of Progress via Corruption →

Unit 2: Political Regimes…Doth More Lieth Beneath the Surface?

Fukuyama (2013) defines political development as the stable co-existence of the state, rule of law and accountability. A perfect balance of all three components is something Denmark has done, giving rise to the “getting to Denmark” catch phrase, for the attempts at replicating such. Such replication has proven difficult but Fukuyama notes that the necessary … Continue reading Unit 2: Political Regimes…Doth More Lieth Beneath the Surface? →