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statement on Plagiarism

Final Exam study questions:

• Over the time period considered in this course, how have changes in the system of hegemony affected the domestic and international benefits from the international economy? What other factors have contributed to changes or continuities in the dispersion of benefits and costs?

• “Once developed economically, nations are destined to become democracies. The relationship between democracy and economic development is one of symbiosis, not conflict.”

Take a stand in support of or against this assertion. In your argument, discuss whether the (positive or negative) relationship between democracy and development can be generalised or whether the relationship is contingent, that is, dependent upon the presence or absence of a hegemon or strong regimes in the global economy, timing of industrialisation and / or other factors. In addition, be sure to explain HOW democracy does or does not impact development. Provide both theoretical and empirical support from lectures and course readings for your answer.

• Francis Fukuyama has argued that the “end of history” is upon us in the form of a “universal homogeneous state where national borders disappear.” Although he concedes that “in the real world, national distinctions do persist,” he argues that it is hard to imagine stable democracies existing outside of these national contexts. Benjamin Barber, on the other hand, has maintained that liberal democracy is threatened by opposing forces and that the ideal situation for preserving liberal democracy would be a “confederal union of semi-autonomous communities smaller than nation-states – participatory and self-determing in local matter at the bottom, representative and accountable at the top.”
  Which position better describes the future of the nation-state? In your evaluation, discuss the various forces at work today that are undermining the nation-state internally and/or externally. How would liberals, Marxists, and economic nationalists view your conclusions about the nation-state’s future? (Refer to specific theorists in your answer.)
  

• Discuss the applicability of Gerschenkron’s model of development (and the varying relationships his model specifies between states and markets) in the current era of globalization, hyperliberalism, and regionalism. Assess whether a single variable relationship between states and markets is emerging. Should the developing countries establish a particular relationship between the market and the state? How do regional development, cultural contexts, and\or global conditions affect your analysis? Provide examples from readings and lectures to support your argument and in your discussion, compare Gerschenkron’s model to traditional liberal models of development, dependency models, and the economic nationalist perspective.