POS BC 3425x Colloquium on the
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT IN EAST ASIA
Fall 1999
416-b Lehman Hall, Wed 2:10-4
Professor Xiaobo Lü
Purpose:
This course is designed to examine the dynamics of East Asian economic growth prior to the financial crisis and the reasons why the crisis took place. Is there an "Asian model" of economic development? What are the essential elements? Are they recipes for success or failure? Was the Asian economic miracle a myth? These are some of the questions we will address in this class. Students are to be exposed to a wide-range of macro-level theories and models, which can be characterized in three broad categories: political, economic and cultural. In order to have a better understanding of the region, we will focus on several countries including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. In the course of this colloquium, some specific topics which weigh differently in different approaches will be discussed. These include, at the macro-level, the role of the state, market, culture, international environment, historical experience; and at the micro-level, labor relations, financial and monetary policies, local business elite, political institutions, and development strategies.
Prerequisites:
Students are generally expected to have taken courses in comparative politics or political economy. It will be helpful if students are familiar with some basic terms related to issues of development. Some familiarity with the history, politics and economy of the countries in the region would also be helpful.
Course Format and Evaluation:
This course requires active participation of students in reading, discussion, presentation, and research. During each class, there will be a 20-minute lecture by the instructor to provide the context of issues to be discussed. The rest of the class will be devoted to student presentation and discussion.
1. Oral Presentation 20%
This course requires readings and discussing the materials assigned for each class meeting. Each student will be responsible for leading the discussion during one session, which will be related to specific issues and themes raised by the required readings. Limited amount of outside readings may be used as a supplement.
2. Class Participation 30%
- Students will submit a one-page reaction paper, commenting on the required readings, for each class meeting, and retain one copy to use in class discussion. The paper must be submitted at the beginning of each class. Late assignments will not be graded. The grades for these assignments will count for 1/3 of the participation grade.
- Each student will be asked to select a current news item relating to Asian development and summarize it for the class in a 10-minute presentation. This will count for 1/3 of the students’ participation grade. Articles can be found in all major newspapers and magazines.
- All students are required to do the reading for each session and participate in the discussion by asking questions, making comments, and reacting to questions raised by others. This will count for 1/3 of the participation grade.
3. Research Paper 50%
Students will prepare a 20-25 page research paper relating to one of the topic covered during the course. This assignment involves three parts: handing in an outline, discussing the outline in class, and the final version of the paper. The outline should be 2-4 page in length and contain the issue(s) to be addressed, summaries of the books or articles to be used as reference, and your own main hypotheses. Each student then will present the outline in class for comments and suggestions from others.
* * * Late assignments will be penalized! * * *
Readings:
The following books are required readings and may be purchased at the bookstore or online (they are also on reserve):
Ezra Vogel, The Four Little Dragons, 1991.
Eun Mee Kim, The Four Asian Tigers, 1998.
Robert Garran, Tigers Tamed, 1998.
Karl Jackson, Asian Contagion, 1999.
Andrew MacIntyre, ed., Business and Government in Industrializing Asia, 1994.
Frederic Deyo, Political Economy of New Asian Industrialism, 1987.
In addition, there will be reading materials (articles) on reserve in Barnard College library. Please check with the circulation desk for the reserved materials. Please note most of the recommended readings are also on reserve in the library.
Useful Web Links:
Asian-Pacific Political Economy Sites: http://www.ssn.flinders.edu.au/ipe/lib.htm
Asian Crisis Articles: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~nroubini/asia/AsiaHomepage.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/karyiu/Asia
http://www.hiid.harvard.edu/research/newnote.html#asia/
http://www.megastories.com/seasia/
Far Eastern Economic Review: http://www.feer.com/
China Online: http://www.chinaonline.com/
Strait Times (Singapore): http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/
Videos:
The following videos are highly recommended for students to see during the semester:
- Mini Dragons
(Part 1-4)
- Asian Value Devalued
- Red Capitalism
- The Path to Development: Some Theoretical Considerations
Week 1 (9/8). Introduction: Economic Development in East Asia: From Miracle to Crisis
Ezra Vogel, The Four Little Dragons, chapter 1.
Garran, Tigers Tamed, chapter 3.
"Tigers Adrift," the Economist, March 7, 1998.
Week 2 (9/15). Explaining Development: the Role of the State
Ezra Vogel, The Four Little Dragons, chapter 5.
Joseph Stiglitz, "Redefining the Role of the State"
John Cassidy, "The Force of an Idea," the New Yorker, Jan. 12, 1998.
Eun Mee Kim, The Four Tigers, chapter 5.
Frederic Deyo, The Political Economy of the New Asian Industrialism, chapters 1-4.
Week 3 (9/22). International Political Economy, Development Strategy, and Growth
Eun Mee Kim, chapters 1, 2, 3.
Week 4 (9/29). Culture, Social Institutions, and Development
F. Deyo, The Political Economy of the New Asian Industrialism, pp.182-202; 227-247.
Gary Hamilton and Nicole Biggart, "Market, Culture, and Authority: A Comparative Analysis of Management and Organization in the Far East".
Susan Greenhalgh, "Families and Networks in Taiwan's Economic Development."
Week 5 (10/6). Class, Labor, and Development
Eun Mee Kim, chapter 7.
Deyo, chapter 5, pp.165-181
Week 6 (10/13). Close Business-Government Ties, Crony Capitalism, and Development
Andrew MacIntyre, Business and Government in Industrializing Asia, chapters 1, 10.
Week 7 (10/20). Why the Crisis Took Place?
Robert Garran, Tigers Tamed, chapters 1, 5.
Linda Weiss, "State Power and the Asian Crisis"
Karl Jackson, Asian Contagion, chapter 1.
- Case Studies
Week 8 (10/27). Japan: From Revered Model to Fallen Idol
Garran, chapter 2, 4.
Jackson, chapter 2.
Nukazawa Kazuo, "The Japanese Economy: From World War II to the New Century" Japanecho, April 1998.
Edward Lincoln, "Japan’s Financial Mess", Foreign Affairs, May 1998.
Week 9 (11/3). Taiwan: The Success of Small Firms
Eun Mee Kim, chapter 6.
MacIntrye, chpt 4.
Week 10 (11/10). Presentation and discussion of research paper outlines.
Video and discussion: Asian Value Devalued
Week 11 (11/17). Korea: The Rise and Fall of Conglomerates
Eun Mee Kim, chapter 8.
Jackson, chapter 6.
MacIntyre, chpt 5.
Garran, chapter 6.
"Korea Moves Anew to Reform Top 5 Chaebols," The Wall Street Journal, August 26, 1999.
"When Eight Arms are Better Then One," the Economist, Sept. 12, 1998.
"Chaebols That Ate Korea" the Economist, Nov. 14, 1998.
"The Death of Daewoo" the Economist, August 21, 1999.
Week 12 (11/24). China: Perils and Promises of Transition
Jackson, chapter 4.
Garran, chapter 9.
Edward Steinfeld, "The Asian Financial Crisis: Beijing’s Year of Reckoning"
Week 13 (12/1). Southeast Asia: the Price of a Fast Track
Jackson, chapter 7-9.
MacIntrye, chpt 6-9.
Garran, chapter 7.
Week 14 (12/8). The Asian Model Reconsidered: the End of a Miracle?
Linda Y.C. Lim, "Whose ‘Model’ Failed?"
Donald Emmerson, "Americanizing Asia," Foreign Affairs, May 1998.
Garran, chapter 10.
"Liberalism Lives" the Economist, Jan. 20, 1999.
"Desperately Seeking a Perfect Model," the Economist, April 10, 1999.
"On Their Feet Again?" the Economist, August 21, 1999.
* * * Research paper is due on December 14, by 6:00pm, in instructor’s box. * * *
There will be a penalty for late papers!
