Gov 365N/MES 323K

 Questions for Class 5: Feb. 2, 2010

 1. What do you think of the "structural power" of capital, also discussed in Henry-Springborg, chapter 1? cf Tom Friedman's "electronic horde," if you have read his Lexus and the Olive Tree.

2. Looking at the colorful page from the IMF on your syllabus, what, according to this important international financial institution (IFI), are the MENA's principal problems? What sorts of data do economists use in discussing these problems?

3. What are the dimensions of governance analyzed for each Arab country in the United Nations Development Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (www.pogar.org)?

4. What is the "Washington Consensus" (spelled out in Henry and Springborg chap 1 and further elaborated later in your syllabus in an Finance and Development set of articles)?

5. What is the significance of a country having a higher per capita GDP rank than Human Development Index rank? (Here are the data for the world in 2005 - and other indices of human development)

6. What is so special about the MENA's colonial experiences and what is their relevance to the 21st century prospects for political and economic development in the region?

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Main page - Feb. 2, 2010

Department of Government, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin.

Questions, Comments, and Suggestions to chenry@mail.utexas.edu